Key West Weekly 24-0829

“I got my Hush Puppies on … I guess I never was meant for glitter rock and rock.”

CELEBRATION TO HONOR BUFFETT | P. 18

JUST A FEW FRIENDS

MEET KEY WEST’S NEW MAYOR DEE DEE HENRIQUEZ STEPS UP TO THE PLATE | P. 4

REPORT CRITICIZES COUNTY CRONYISM & TOXIC ENVIRONMENT GRAND JURY DESCRIBES FAVORITISM, INTIMIDATION & COERCION | P. 9

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Florida’s Little League team out of Lake Mary topped Taiwan, 2-1, to win the Little League World Series on Aug. 25. The win by the team, based in an Orlando suburb, is the first in nine trips to the LLWS final by Florida teams.

KEY WEST MAYOR DEE DEE HENRIQUEZ STEPS UP TO THE PLATE

Former tax collector who ran unopposed promises communication, transparency

Key West will celebrate the life and songs of the late Jimmy Buffett during a Labor Day weekend tribute called Just a Few Friends. See page 18. FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU/Contributed

MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

The Aug. 26 swearing-in ceremony at Key West’s city hall marked a significant change in the lineup of Key West politics, as incoming Mayor Danise “Dee Dee” Henriquez took the field for the home team with two new players on the roster. She joins incoming city commissioners Donie Lee and Monica Haskell. The rest of the commission includes Lissette Cuervo-Carey, Mary Lou Hoover, Sam Kaufman and Clayton Lopez. Lopez will leave office in November, when a runoff election between Aaron Castillo and Marci Rose determines his successor in District 6.

Members of

Already ubiquitous in politics, baseball metaphors are particularly difficult to avoid in Key West, where the incoming mayor has been married for 43 years to Key West High School’s winningest coach, Ralph Henriquez.

But make no mistake, Henriquez is ready and willing to call the shots.

“Everyone knows how I am with taxpayer money, and I didn’t come here to dust the shelves” that are filled with three-ring binders containing studies, reports and consultants’ long-term plans, Henriquez said on Aug. 23, when she sat down with the Keys Weekly in the mayor’s conference room at city hall while her new office was being repainted. “I want the citizens to see that we’re moving forward. Immediately.”

Having spent 31 years in the Monroe County Tax Collector’s office — 20 of them as the elected tax collector — Henriquez has a sharp eye for public money, property taxes and illegal vacation rentals, which her office was tasked with enforcing.

She retired from that office in 2019 and spent all of 18 months as a retiree. She and Coach Ralph also own the Kilwins franchise on Duval Street, selling gourmet chocolates, fudge, ice cream and other treats.

“Then I spoke with County Clerk Kevin Madok, and went to work for him on special projects, record retention, sort of a director of operations, and we’ve come a long way in that office.”

Key West Mayor Danise ‘Dee Dee’ Henriquez officially takes office at noon on Aug. 26 at city hall. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

Saturday, August 31st 11am -

CHANGING OF THE GUARD IN KEY WEST

New mayor & commissioners sworn in at city hall

MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

Acelebratory crowd packed Key West’s city hall at noon on Aug. 26, all there to witness the swearing-in of two new city commissioners, Monica Haskell and Donie Lee, and Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez. Key West Utility Board member Pat Labrada also took the oath of office, administered by city clerk Keri O’Brien.

Haskell succeeds Jimmy Weekley in representing District 1, while Lee takes over for Billy Wardlow in District 3. Both Weekley and Wardlow were term-limited out of office, and were in the audience to support the changing of the guard. In District 6, commissioner Clayton Lopez is also term-limited, but will remain in office until November, when a runoff election between Aaron Castillo and Marci Rose is decided.

Notably absent at the swearing-in celebration was former mayor Teri Johnston, who did not attend the Aug. 8 city commission meeting or a reception held the night prior to honor the outgoing lawmakers, which included Johnston, Weekley, Wardlow and Lopez.

A special meeting was initially scheduled for Aug. 26, just hours after the swearing-in, to decide whether the commission would rehire former city manager Al Childress, who was fired by four commissioners in late June. That meeting was canceled on Friday, Aug. 23 with no announcement of a rescheduled date. Henriquez told the Keys Weekly on Aug. 23 that she would not have supported Childress’s rehiring.

The new commission takes office during a period of upheaval at city hall in light of the ousted city manager and pending subpoenas from the state attorney, who requested phone and email records of the city commissioners, city attorney Ron Ramsingh and his brother, Raj Ramsingh, who is the city’s chief building official. A consultant’s report from May accuses Raj Ramsingh of improperly awarding building permits and other approvals without involving the city’s planning department, which is tasked with interpreting and applying the city’s development laws.

When Henriquez told Madok in October 2023 she had decided to run for mayor, “He wasn’t ready to let me go, but instead said, ‘We’ll figure out a new schedule for you,’” Henriquez said.

She’ll likely put in a few hours a day at the clerk’s office, but emphasized that the job of mayor is her top priority. Henriquez, 60, will be paid $22,500 annually as mayor.

“I’ll always be here, whenever and for whomever I’m needed,” she said, adding that her office door will always be open — to city employees, department heads and residents.

Henriquez spent last week in city hall going through an orientation process, but her involvement in day-to-day city operations started months ago, as soon as she announced her candidacy.

“I hit the ground running when I announced in October,” she said, assuming that she’d have an opponent, either in then-incumbent mayor Teri Johnston, who had one term remaining, or Kaufman, who had considered a mayoral run last fall. “I rode with the police officers on the night shift. I did shifts with the firefighters and in the ambulance. I went to every budget meeting, every commission meeting. I was out on the street at 4 a.m. while crews were cleaning up after Fantasy Fest. I ran as if I was running against 10 Teri Johnstons and 10 Sam Kaufmans.”

But in January, Johnston announced that she wouldn’t seek reelection, and Kaufman decided to keep his commission seat. By June, when the qualifying period ended and closed the window for anyone to enter the race, Henriquez was unofficially elected without any opposition.

“I was so humbled by that,” she said. “It was so encouraging to realize that people had trust in me, and in my commitment to trust, communication and transparency. I may be firm, but I’ll always listen and I’ll always be fair, and people will always know where things stand with me.”

That much was evident during Friday’s conversation, when Henriquez didn’t hesitate to make her position known about a few key issues.

She has already met with the city’s finance department to start the ball moving to enable the acceptance of online payments for annual renewal of business licenses, a feature not currently possible.

While many politicians speak around a question, pledging to consider all sides, meet with the voters and make a decision later, Henriquez has already said, on the record, that she does not support extending the transient rental rights of property

was able to pitch to her husband, Ralph Henriquez, coach of the storied Conch baseball team at Key West High School.

CONTRIBUTED

owners in Truman Annex.

She has already met with those owners, who were given a 20-year allowance to rent their places shortterm. That allowance ends in 2025, and there is already movement on the part of some property owners to seek an extension.

“I’ve met with (Code Compliance Director) Jim Young about vacation rentals, and I met with the Truman Annex property owners, and told them I would not support an extension.”

Henriquez also told the Keys Weekly that she does not support the rehiring of former City Manager Al Childress, but acknowledges that the decision could come down to a vote of the entire commission if proposed by another lawmaker.

“Right now, city hall is divided,” she said. “People don’t know who to talk to, who to trust, who’s going to hear what. And so, whether it’s right or wrong, I can’t support bringing Mr. Childress back. I told Commissioner Kaufman that when we could still speak before the Sunshine Law took effect.” (Florida’s Government in the Sunshine law prohibits elected officials from privately discussing matters that could come before them for a vote.)

“I’m going to represent everyone and make my decisions on what’s best for everyone,” said Henriquez. “And people will always know where I stand.”

Oh, and on the evening of Aug. 26, she stood with her family — husband Ralph and their two adult children, Ralphie and Ashley — at Tavern ’n’ Town, for a celebration.

Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez throws out the first pitch at the Marlins game on Aug. 24. The team hosted its annual Florida Keys Day, and Henriquez

Utility Board member Pat Labrada is sworn in, his hand on a bible held by his wife, Terri Labrada.

Key West Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez takes the oath of office Aug. 26 with her hand on a bible held by her husband, Ralph Henriquez. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

Key West City Clerk Keri O’Brien swears in District 3 commissioner Donie Lee while his mother, Paula Lee, holds the bible.

District 1 commissioner Monica Haskell takes the oath of office, her hand on a bible held by grandson Phineas Haskell.

GRAND JURY REPORT OFFERS SCATHING REVIEW IN COUNTY INDICTMENTS

Document outlines ‘caustic and cronyistic environment,’ persistent cover-ups

By Alex Rickert and Mandy Miles

The following is a summary of statements taken directly from the report of a 15-member grand jury that recently indicted former County Administrator Roman Gastesi, former division chief of Trauma Star and Monroe County Fire Rescue Andrea Thompson, and former Trauma Star medical director Dr. Sandra Schwemmer in connection with the 2022 theft and loss of more than 600 vials of fentanyl, Dilaudid, ketamine and other controlled substances from MCFR, which also oversees the county’s Trauma Star air ambulance service.

The grand jury report was filed with the Monroe County Clerk of Court on Aug. 19. The Weekly strongly encourages our readers to view this report in its entirety, along with prior Keys Weekly coverage of the ongoing case, by scanning the QR codes provided. The Keys Weekly emphasizes that all individuals named are innocent until proven guilty, and though Gastesi, Thompson and Schwemmer have been indicted, they have not been convicted of any crimes.

and visitors and must come to a stop. This culture has been one of long duration where certain employees have received preferential treatment to the detriment of other employees, often leading to the termination or resignation of employees who have refused to allow such dysfunctional behavior to exist.”

“Unfortunately, this environment … can be documented back to 2010.”

On Dr. Sandra Schwemmer’s alleged role

“The Grand Jury received a significant amount of information indicating that Dr. Schwemmer was not complying with the terms of her contract with the BOCC.”

“Testimony and information presented to the Grand Jury indicated that … controlled substances such as morphine, fentanyl, Dilaudid, ketamine and Versed regularly went missing without remedial action being taken. However, she did not institute any real changes to the inventory processes during her tenure.”

“Given the multiple incidents involving controlled substances during Dr. Schwemmer’s tenure, the Grand Jury is deeply concerned about the willingness of the BOCC to continually renew Dr. Schwemmer’s contracts that regularly increased the amount of compensation she received without any oversight that the terms of the contracts were being complied with.”

best interests of Monroe County as a whole, but rather for select individuals that align themselves with him.”

“Most recently, Roman Gastesi intervened and stopped HR and Employee Services from conducting an internal investigation by an outside third-party independent firm of the July 2022 incident and more specifically Andrea Thompson.”

On former MCFR Fire Chief Steven Hudson

“Information … indicates that Chief Hudson was harassed and received multiple threats of retaliation resulting in his decision to retire instead of being terminated when Chief Hudson attempted to implement changes and impose discipline for the July 2022 Rusinowski incident. To Chief Hudson’s credit, he requested that the Monroe County Clerk of Court conduct a full and complete audit of the EMS and Trauma Star program. Not surprisingly, Chief Hudson received much pushback from the County Administrator Gastesi and certain BOCC commissioners.”

On MCFR and Trauma Star employees and testifying witnesses

Grand jury’s ‘facts & our assessment’

“The incident in July 2022, in which (former Trauma Star chief flight nurse) Lynda Rusinowski was initially charged … was merely the tip of the iceberg. Multiple incidents involving controlled substances and drugs utilized by the Trauma Star/EMS program have occurred since at least 2010. Many of these incidents have involved the same employees of Monroe County, Roman Gastesi, James Callahan, Andrea Thompson and Sandra Schwemmer.”

“On Aug. 2, 8 and 15, 2024, the Grand Jury heard testimony from 20 witnesses involved in or having knowledge of the 2022 Trauma Star investigation and actions by MCFR and other public servants. It should be noted that Roman Gastesi was afforded an invitation on two separate dates to appear in person or via Zoom, but did not appear.”

“(Integrity and accountability) are seriously lacking in current (and former) MCFR highranking administrators and county employees and allowed for a caustic and cronyistic environment to exist for many years within the agency. This culture seriously affects the morale of its employees and the delivery of services affecting the life and safety of Monroe County citizens

On Andrea Thompson’s alleged role

“Mrs. Thompson has been directly involved in several of the incidents and instead of being terminated or disciplined … she has consistently been promoted throughout the years. … Information provided to the Grand Jury has shown that both Roman Gastesi and Fire Chief James Callahan have consistently intervened on behalf of Mrs. Thompson … to prevent disciplinary action being taken.”

“She placed her friendship with the Chief Flight Nurse Rusinowski ahead of public safety, improperly inserted herself in the investigation into the narcotics theft by Rusinowski and thwarted law enforcement’s attempts to discover all the facts and evidence surrounding the crime committed by her friend.”

“Aside from the above, Andrea Thompson was a main architect of the toxic workplace that existed at MCFR, actively participating in intimidation, threats and coercion to keep those she managed under her control.”

On Roman Gastesi’s alleged role

“What is certain, through the testimony of the various witnesses, is that Mr. Gastesi has used what appears to be boundless power and authority in manners not consistent with the

“There are many highly trained, dedicated, ethical and committed individuals within those programs who take pride in serving Monroe County. The long standing underlying problem has been the various individuals placed in leadership roles who have abused the power given to them and created an unhealthy almost tyrannical environment.”

“The currently employed firefighter/paramedics who testified exposed themselves to potential retribution and ostracism (and) were especially courageous despite being at risk of severe personal and professional consequences.”

“The Grand Jury was in full consensus that the MCFR EMS and Trauma Star program provides outstanding critical patient care and services. … We commend their efforts and encourage public trust and confidence in these services.”

Recommendations to the county commission

“Mr. Gastesi must never hold any position with Monroe County.”

“Andrea Thompson (should) be immediately terminated from her position with MCFR and not be allowed to return or hold any position with MCFR or hold any position of trust within Monroe County.”

“Chief Callahan (should) be asked to resign

as Fire Chief before the end of 2024.”

“Monroe County Employee Services to implement random drug testing for all county employees in special-risk positions.”

“Monroe County’s Human Resources/Employee Services department (should) develop a new and uniform policy and procedures for the handling of any complaint received by a Monroe County employee. … (and) review and update its whistleblower/ anonymous reporting process. … There also needs to be a written report or response documented internally indicating what was done to investigate the report as well as a response being provided to the individual who made the report.”

“The BOCC (should) immediately hire an independent thirdparty firm to conduct a review of all contracts of services and determine compliance with the required contract terms before any contract is renewed.”

“The BOCC (should) implement more checks and balances as it pertains to the County Administrator position. There should be written monthly reports detailing a thorough review by the County Administrator of the County’s departments’ work environment, work product and efficiency along with any pending complaints or incidents related to public trust or accountability.”

County

officials react

Monroe County spokeswoman Kristen Livengood told the Keys Weekly on Aug. 28 that the county commission will be reviewing all recommendations and discussing them at length at the Sept. 11 meeting in Key Largo.

“The number one priority now is to regain the trust of our community. We will continue to be accountable and transparent while implementing the appropriate recommendations in the Grand Jury’s report and will have staff present regular updates at BOCC meetings into the foreseeable future.” – Monroe County Mayor Holly Merrill Raschein

“The grand jury report is why we requested not only an internal audit investigation on Fire Rescue, but an independent agency to comprehensively review our entire organization with the goal of identifying opportunities for improvement, accountability, transparency and fairness across all operations. True leadership demands accountability and a willingness to selfassess, and I acknowledge that there are areas where we can do better. I continue to uphold the commitment of serving our community with the highest standards of governance and service. This isn’t about the service provided by our fire rescue. This is about leadership and organizational effectiveness.” – commissioner Michelle Lincoln

“I received the grand jury recommendations and am in the process of digesting the information that was presented. I look forward to our discussion at the next BOCC meeting regarding the findings.” – commissioner David Rice

“We will take this matter seriously and are committed to transparency and accountability. Our priority is to thoroughly review the findings and recommendations made by the grand jury to ensure that our operations align with best practices to better serve the public’s interest.” – commissioner Craig Cates

“We’ll discuss this fully as a commission once we have the opportunity to discuss it at a public meeting, when we’re permitted to discuss such matters. I’m committed to taking any necessary actions to improve our policies and procedures.” — commissioner Jim Scholl

“We are doing a thorough review of how our culture operates. We want to make sure we do not repeat any of the mistakes of the past and make sure that our controls are robust enough to not be circumvented moving forward.” – acting County Administrator Kevin Wilson GRAND JURY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

INVESTIGATION WILL PROBE COUNTY DRUG SCANDAL Commissioners

to hire outside firm to delve deeper

MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

Elected officials in the Florida Keys last week decided to delve deeper into the actions and inaction, both careless and criminal, that allowed more than 600 vials of fentanyl, Dilaudid, ketamine and other narcotics to be lost or stolen in 2022 from the Monroe County Fire Rescue department, which also oversees the Trauma Star air ambulance service.

At an Aug. 21 county commission meeting, commissioner Crag Cates proposed, and his colleagues agreed to hire an outside firm to conduct an independent, in-depth investigation into MCFR and other county departments.

The decision closely mirrors one of 14 recommendations that a grand jury included in its report detailing the evidence that led to the indictments earlier this month of three county officials.

County attorney Bob Shillinger at next month’s meeting will recommend a firm and proposed contract for the investigation.

The grand jury that handed down the indictments charged former top county administrator Roman Gastesi with felony official misconduct.

“Gastesi is accused of knowingly and intentionally obstructing, delaying, or preventing the communication of information relating to the commission of a felony that directly affected the government entity he served,” states a press release from the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office following his indictment.

In addition, Andrea Thompson, former division chief of Trauma Star/ EMS, faces at least 11 felony charges, including official misconduct, evidence tampering, making false statements to law enforcement, and falsifying patient records. Dr. Sandra Schwemmer, former medical director of Trauma Star and MCFR, faces one count each of official misconduct, providing false information to law enforcement and altering patient records.

The official grand jury report, which was to be made public Thursday, Aug. 29 at 8:30 a.m. at the Clerk of Court’s website at monroe-clerk.com, details a culture of corruption, intimidation and favoritism at the county level, involving Gastesi and Thompson.

‘Our leadership has failed’ “Supposedly, we’ve made improvements so this can never happen again,” Cates said at the Aug. 21 county commission meeting. “But we’re also trying to restore the public’s trust, and having an independent investigation that answers only to us as the board of county commissioners, I believe, is necessary to start restoring that trust.”

An internal audit last year by the county clerk’s office revealed an alarming lack of oversight for MCFR’s controlled substance protocols.

The scandal started two years ago when Trauma Star’s former chief flight nurse, Lynda Rusinowski, was investigated and later arrested for stealing narcotics to feed her own addiction. But the county clerk’s audit soon found the problems went much deeper than a single addicted nurse.

“This is not about the work of our first responders; it’s about leadership, and our leadership has failed,” commissioner Michelle Lincoln said at the meeting. She suggested the outside investigation cover not just the MCFR, but other county departments and contracts, which is also recommended in the grand jury report.

Commissioners David Rice, Jim Scholl and Holly Raschein agreed, with Raschein emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability, and of the commission “owning this.”

During the public comment period, Key West resident and political candidate Chris Massicotte, who is challenging commissioner Jim Scholl, commended the additional investigation, adding, “I’m sure we all know someone who has been affected by addiction, and it breaks my heart to think about how many vials of those drugs got into our community.”

County firefighter Oliver Hodek, president of the firefighters union in Monroe County, commended the county’s firefighters who continue to be on the front lines every day despite the burden of this scandal.

“If trust needs to be restored, it must begin with our own leadership,” he said. “Like any chain, we’re only as strong as our weakest link, and when that was tested, our weakest links faltered and failed. But you know which link didn’t break or falter? Your firefighters.”

DAVID SLOAN & ROBERT THE DOLL TO LEAD FANTASY FEST PARADE

CONTRIBUTED

TOP TRIBUTE BANDS ROCK KEY WEST ALL DAY ON NOV. 16

Local paranormal expert & ‘haunted’ doll named as grand marshals

Organizers for Fantasy Fest, Key West’s annual costuming extravaganza, have announced that David L. Sloan and Robert, the island’s most famous “haunted” doll, will be grand marshals of the 2024 Bud Light Fantasy Fest Parade. The 10day festival’s centerpiece event will roll down Duval St. on Saturday, Oct. 26, with the theme, “It’s a ’90s Neon Cosmic Carnival.”

Sloan is an American author, publisher, artist, producer and paranormal specialist. Robert the Doll, a

regular companion of Sloan’s, is an eerie 100-plus-year-old doll with a history of supernatural behaviors, who resides at Fort East Martello Museum.

In the 1990s, Sloan launched an investigation into a mysterious portal believed to be contained within Robert. In the course of his investigations, a curse was reportedly “unleashed into the island’s cosmic realm.” On parade day, as they traverse Duval Street, Sloan, Robert the Doll, and their creepy crew of dancing dolls will attempt to open the cosmic portal, transport Key West back to the ’90s, and reverse the curse.

Fantasy Fest 2024 is presented in part by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council and We’ve Got the Keys. More information is at http://www.fantasyfest. com.

— Contributed

Trib Fest features music of Queen, Bob Marley, Lady Gaga, Neil Diamond & more

Trib Fest is coming to Key West for a full day of family music fun on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater.

Presented by Key West resident Vinny Cassano of VFC’s Travels in cooperation with Rams Head Presents, the festival features among the best tribute acts flown in from the United Kingdom and Europe to entertain audiences of all ages.

The event will include food stalls, beverage stations, local vendors and more at the amphitheater. In true Key West style, attendees should feel free to dress up as their favorite band or musical artist.

“These are not merely cover bands, but rather dedicated tribute acts that play the role of the original musician or band, and sound nearly identical to them,” said Cassano, who first launched Trib Fest in 2010 in Bahrain and later grew it to a twice-a-year event that spread to Dubai due to its popularity..

Confirmed acts for Trib Fest Key West include tribute bands that relive the music of Queen, Bob Marley, Oasis, Bon Jovi, The Police, Blink 182, Killers, Elvis, Neil Diamond, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, Masters of Rock, The Jam and Green Day.

Tickets range from $65 for adults for all-day, in-and-out access, to $125 VIP passes that include cocktails tables, seating, two free drinks at a private bar and private bathroom access.

Trib Fest offers a 20% discount to military and first responders and a 15% discount to Key West locals. (Use codes MILFIRST and KWLOCAL when buying tickets online). More information is at tribfestkw.com.

— Contributed

The music of Bob Marley will be recreated and performed live at Trib Fest Key West on Nov. 16 at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater, where more than a dozen tribute bands will perform. CONTRIBUTED

Key West author, entrepreneur and paranormal specialist David L. Sloan and Robert the Doll will serve as grand marshals for this year’s Bud Light Fantasy Fest Parade on Oct. 26. CONTRIBUTED

A Bon Jovi tribute band will ensure the Key West audience at Trib Fest is ‘shot through the heart.’

A BETTER BIRDHOUSE HAS ARRIVED

Key West Wildlife Center gets new clinic building

MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

The new modular building, lime green in color, arrived on Aug. 21 at Indigenous Park and will house the Key West Wildlife Center’s (KWWC) new avian clinic. The elevated, hurricanehardened structure will replace the center’s old and badly decaying building within the 7-acre park at the end of White Street near Higgs Beach.

For more than 25 years, the KWWC has provided 24-hour emergency rescue services for wildlife in Key West and the Lower Keys. Many Key West residents, at some point, have come upon an injured bird, one that can’t fly away. One that lets people get uncommonly close. One with a bum wing, or leg. Or one that’s too exhausted to move. We typically watch the bird for a bit, practically willing it to take flight and assuage our concerns. Perhaps we walk away for a few moments and then go back to check on it. When it’s still there upon our return, we pull out our phone and call for backup — from the KWWC, a nonprofit organization that rehabilitates birds to release them back into their natural surroundings — while making us feel good about ourselves for making a call to help a creature in need.

Top: Workers prepare for the installation of the new modular building that will house the Key West Wildlife Center at Indigenous Park at the foot of White Street. CONTRIBUTED.

Above: Key West Wildlife Center rescuer and rehabilitator Debra Babich documents the arrival of a section of the center’s new modular clinic building on Aug. 21. In the background, the other half of the building, which will be 56 feet wide by 48 feet deep when joined, can be seen already in place.

A human always answers the phone at KWWC — 24/7. They’ll listen with a practiced ear to our decidedly non-expert descriptions of the bird and its plight and then take action to help, prepared to dispatch a rescue team at a moment’s notice to help pelicans, pigeons, egrets, herons, roosters, hawks, mockingbirds, you name it.

The new clinic building will help the center continue its mission — and allow it to help us feel good about ourselves for making a simple phone call. More information is at keywestwildlifecenter.org.

NEW EXHIBIT CELEBRATES CLASSIC KEY WEST PHOTOGRAPHER

Nearly 90, Richard Watherwax captured the island for decades

Some photographers document celebrities. Others produce such a singular body of work that they achieve celebrity status themselves. Richard Watherwax is one of those.

With his 90th birthday approaching, the long-time Key West photographer will be honored with a retrospective of his works at the Key West Museum of Art and History, 281 Front St. “The Antic Humor of Richard Watherwax” opens with a public reception on Friday, Sept. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m., and will be on display through Nov. 24.

Key West resident Erika Biddle, who conceived of the exhibit and birthday retrospective, spent countless hours tracking down and borrowing as many Watherwax images as possible, with plenty of them materializing in surprising and serendipitous ways.

Biddle then approached the Key West Art & Historical Society about hosting a retrospective exhibit and has been working with KWAHS curator and historian Cori Convertito to prepare the show.

“I visit Richard regularly at Palm Vista, where he now lives,” Biddle said. “When I realized his 90th birthday was approaching it spurred me to launch this project. It’s important; he’s such a major part of our area’s history.”

In addition to the exhibition, a scholarship will be launched in Watherwax’s name to benefit young photography students ages 12-18.

In his online blog, watherwax. blogspot.com, Watherwax shares photos and the stories behind them, including of his “Beatnik Daze” in San Francisco and New York City, where he tended bar and served drinks to people like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. Watherwax also recalls drinking with Shel Silverstein in Greenwich Village before reconnecting with him decades later in Key West.

In celebration of his upcoming 90th birthday, renowned Key West photographer Richard Watherwax will be honored with a photo retrospective at the Key West Museum of Art and History Sept. 13-Nov. 24. ERIKA BIDDLE/Contributed

A journalism/photography major in college, Watherwax worked in commercial and advertising photography, shooting in NYC for clients like Coca-Cola, Revlon and AT&T. He admits that he actually lived the “Mad Men” lifestyle depicted in the smoke, sex and martini-laced television series.

In 1985 Watherwax took his final bite out of the Big Apple and moved to Key West, where he quickly took to the island’s free-spirited, artistic and intellectual vibe and cultivated a notably droll signature style. In Key West, he photographed scores of “shakers, makers and characters,” some depicted in character portraits, and others, such as his “Saturday Night Baby Fights” classic, in overthe-top story-telling scenes or tableaux cooked up in his imagination.

Before digital photography, Watherwax earned a prominent spot among top tier Key West-based photographers. A photo session with him often was a bucket list item for tourists and Keys residents. Clients understood that Watherwax could hone in on their unseen interior world, and capture that environment, and they would come away with something completely unexpected and original.

In addition to his photographic opus, Watherwax is the author of several books, many of which feature two of his favorite photography and writing subjects — cats and women.

“I can’t think of any way I’d rather celebrate my 90th birthday than to be surrounded by so many of the friends I’ve photographed over the years and who have made this such an interesting journey,” Watherwax said.

For more information contact Biddle at erikabiddle824kw@gmail. com.

Contributed

‘JUST A FEW FRIENDS KEY WEST’ CELEBRATION TO HONOR BUFFETT

Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, left, plays a concert at Key West Theater with his Coral Reefer Band the year before his death. Key West’s ‘Just a Few Friends’ event will take place Aug. 30 through Sept. 2 to memorialize the life, times and music of Buffett, who died Sept. 1, 2023 following a battle with skin cancer. FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU/Contributed

Events and tributes take place Aug. 30 through Sept. 2

The late singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett will be honored with a celebration set for Aug. 30 through Sept. 2 in Key West, where he developed the signature “tropical rock” style and laid-back persona that helped make him a worldrenowned musical icon.

“Just a Few Friends Key West” will commemorate the island city’s favorite son with events including a “second line” memorial walking parade, concerts by Buffett’s musical friends and tribute bands, beach parties, walking and biking tours of the entertainer’s favorite spots, sailing excursions and other activities that recall the Key West lifestyle he chronicled in his music.

Buffett, who died Sept. 1, 2023, discovered the island in the early 1970s and its influence is widely credited with inspiring many of his most enduring songs, including the classic hit “Margaritaville.” He called Key West home during some of his most productive years and frequently referenced its characters, landmarks and freewheeling vibe in his lyrics.

“Just a Few Friends” will begin Friday, Aug. 30, with highlights including the 11 a.m. reading of a Florida State Legislature proclamation designating Jimmy Buffett Day. Civic leaders, regional celebrities and Buffett fans will gather for the waterfront reading and welcome ceremony outside his Shrimp Boat Sound recording studio in the Key West Historic Seaport.

Friday’s schedule also features a welcome party on the beach with live music by a tribute band.

The schedule Saturday, Aug. 31, recalls some of the entertainer’s classic songs with activities including a margarita bar crawl and “Blue Heaven

BUFFETT COLLABORATOR WILL KIMBROUGH SHARES SONGS, STORIES

Musician sits down with Keys Weekly before his Sept. 1 show

MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

One of Will Kimbrough’s favorite observations about music came from Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, who once said, “I sing a song to 75,000 people for one reason, and they sing it back to me for 75,000 different reasons.”

Rendezvous” trop-rock jam.

Events Sunday, Sept. 1, are highlighted by the Second Line Memorial Walking Parade, a procession for fans of Buffett’s music and the island lifestyle it promotes. Beginning at 5 p.m. in the 100 block of Duval Street, the march will include strolling musicians and participants wearing tropical attire.

While taking part in the procession is free, souvenir parade passes can be purchased to benefit local nonprofit organizations.

Marchers will proceed up Duval Street past the singer/songwriter’s original Margaritaville Store and Margaritaville Café, turn right onto Southard Street and end at Truman Waterfront Park for the Party in the Park celebration.

Set for Sunday from 6 to 11 p.m., the free gathering features nonstop live music by talents including Will Kimbrough, co-writer of Buffett’s posthumous hit “Bubbles Up.” Attendees can sample offerings from local food trucks and vendors, browse wares crafted by local artisans, share Buffett tales and enjoy a Key West sunset from the park.

The festival concludes on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2, with a schedule that includes a “pencil thin mustache” contest inspired by Buffett’s song of the same name. The two final events also reference his song titles: a “Come Monday” seafood boil from 5 to 8 p.m. and a “Nautical Wheelers” sunset tribute concert starring Roger Bartlett, the original guitarist for Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band.

More information is at justafewfriendskeywest.com.

— Contributed

It’s a comment that has stuck with Kimbrough, a singer/songwriter who spent more than 20 years co-writing songs and collaborating with Jimmy Buffett while also writing, recording and performing his own folk and Americana-style music in and around Nashville for decades.

Kimbrough has been considered a 21st-century Coral Reefer, as Buffett’s bandmates have long been called.

“Songs become a part of so many people’s own stories, and there’s no denying that so many of Jimmy Buffett’s songs have become such a part of so many lives, personal stories and memories for more than five decades,” said Kimbrough, who will perform during the free Party in the Park outdoor concert on Sunday, Sept. 1 at Truman Waterfront Park.

Kimbrough cowrote “Bubbles Up” with Buffett, and the song became the Key West legend’s first posthumous hit after his death on Sept. 1, 2023 from skin cancer.

“It’s a serene, wistful song of encouragement powered by an inspired metaphor — the advice scuba divers are given to follow their stream of bubbles to find the surface when they get disoriented,” wrote Craig Havighurst in a January article for WMOT. “The song arrived in September with an endorsement by none other than Paul McCartney, who wrote, ‘I told (Buffett) that not only was the song great, but the vocal was probably the best I’ve heard him sing ever.’”

Singer/songwriter Will Kimbrough, seen here on the cover of his latest album, ‘For the LIfe of Me,’ will perform a free acoustic set in Key West on Sept. 1 as part of the Just a Few Friends celebration of Jimmy Buffett’s life and music. Kimbrough co-wrote ‘Bubbles Up’ with Buffett just months before his death. CONTRIBUTED

“The Sept. 1 show will be me performing an acoustic set, which I can’t wait for, because it’ll give me an opportunity to tell stories about working with Jimmy, and sing these songs. Jimmy was one of the least melancholy people I’ve ever met. His whole art was about taking joy in how flawed we all are — sort of like, we’re all crazy, but ain’t life grand. And he was like that up until the very end, and even then, Jimmy, with the blessing of his family, told the Coral Reefers, which has truly been a family for decades, he told them to keep the party going. He really set an example for how to leave this world and still keep making people happy.”

‘Equal Strain on All Parts’ is Jimmy Buffett’s final album and features his posthumous hit, ‘Bubbles Up.’ CONTRIBUTED

Kimbrough recalled to the Keys Weekly how a songwriting collaboration session with Buffett typically would begin.

“I’d often get a call, email or text message, and Jimmy would ask, ‘Are you ready for some homework?’ Of course, I was always ready, and he’d send me some lyrics, thoughts, even sketches sometimes.”

And Kimbrough would fiddle around with chords, melodies and more lyrics and the pair would go back and forth for weeks. Kimbrough said he can’t wait to do his part to keep the party going in Key West.

Kimbrough said he feels honored to be able to continue the tradition of Buffett’s music and storytelling style.

For a full lineup of events for the Just a Few Friends Jimmy Buffeett tribute weekend in Key West, visit justafewfriendskeywest.com/.

KING & QUEEN CANDIDATE

DRAG QUEEN BINGO W/QMITCH AT 22& CO.

SUNDAYS 5PM - 7PM | 504 ANGELA ST.

9/8/24 - ALL candidates | 9/15/24 - Marjory Lee

9/22/24 - Michael Vernon 9/29/24 - Lisa Zee

10/6/24 - Elle Taylor 10/13/24 - ALL candidates

AQUA IDOL AT AQUA BAR & NIGHTCLUB

MONDAYS 6PM - 7:30PM

9/9/24 | 9/16/24 | 9/23/24

9/30/24 | 10/7/24| 10/14/24

VIBRATOR RACES AT MARRY ELLEN’S THURSDAYS 6PM - 9PM | 420 APPELROUTH

9/30/24 | 9/12/24 - ALL candidates | 9/19/24 - Michael Vernon

9/26/24 - Marjory Lee | 10/3/24 - Elle Taylor

10/10/24 - Lisa Zee | 10/17/24 - ALL candidates

HAPPY HOUR

- SATURDAY | 6P - LATE

WELCOMING NEW PATIENTS

Dr. Christopher Forsee, DMD is seamlessly taking the reins from the iconic “Barefoot Dentist,” Dr. Troxel, where the laid-back vibe extends even to the choice of footwear.

Dr. Forsee delivers personalized comprehensive dental care tailored to your needs. Whether it's routine maintenance or advanced procedures, trust Dr. Forsee to rejuvenate your smile with meticulous precision and compassionate care.

Reed,

Christina Kemp Sawyer, MD Raul Caner, MD

BEHIND THE BLONDE

Underneath it all

The more time passes, the less I think about the intense hold alcohol had on me. How it was at the forefront of every occasion, even if that occasion was just a Tuesday night on my porch.

is a busy mom, radio personality and writer who’s not afraid to write what many of us are thinking.

I’ve read it a million times from other people — once you break free from the vise grip of booze, you are peeling away the layers of yourself, slowly revealing what you’ve been masking all along. My “literal” brain knows this, that I have been on a ride of self-discovery ever since flipping my life “right side up” a little over three years ago.

But after years of increased self-awareness and personal discovery, I have been subconsciously fighting the inevitable truth within me — that underneath it all, I am an obsessive person. And it’s affecting my mental health and quality of life.

I hold myself to a rigorously high standard and rarely allow myself the space to indulge, without guilt, in anything from food to a simple day off where I’m not “productive.”

However, two things can be true at once. I can love myself deeply, with a profound respect for the massive strides I have made in my life. Yet, I can also get so overwhelmed by the noise in my brain that — hard truth — there has been a time or two I have actually hit my own head hoping the racing thoughts will stop just for a moment.

Something has shifted lately. My normally jovial state has been wavering and my son has been asking me what’s wrong. “Nothing honey, mommy is fine,” I lied, though at the time I didn’t quite know myself what was testing me.

The constant need for control that I cultivate in my mind is outweighing all of the positivity I have created. My fixation takes up precious space by spiraling inside of me. But there isn’t a switch I can turn off to simply stop overthinking things. (And not surprisingly, hitting my head doesn’t work either…)

You know those Progressive commercials show us turning into our parents? They’re hysterical because they’re true. This past spring break, my parents, in-laws and one of my broth-

ers shared a beach house in Georgia. Weeks before the trip, I sent a novel-worthy group text to everyone to pre-arrange dinner plans for the week. (You know, because relaxing vacations should involve sign-up sheets.)

I thought I was being proactive and helpful. It was made apparent to me I was actually acting obsessive and controlling. Wednesday evening came along and the assigned chicken didn’t go at all to plan. When talk turned to ditching the grill and making a run to Chick-fil-A, I was aghast. We all sat around the table and ate rubber chicken two hours after dinner was intended.

Later that evening, my husband and brother snuck off to Chick-fil-A anyway. I accompanied them, but refused to order anything, even though it smelled really freaking good. I simultaneously denied myself something yummy while giving my husband a hard time about the evening's earlier fail and his current fast-food choices. I was obnoxious.

The next day, when my younger brother told me I was “acting like Dad,” I had an immediate “oh shit” moment. My dad has a heart of gold and he would do anything for his family. He’s the first phone call I make with anything major.

He’s also a pain in the ass. I’ve always known I was a pain in the ass too, but this was the first time I realized that the bigger pain, the true strife I’m causing, is to myself.

The inability to let go of control is leading me to suck the joy out of situations. Sure, I annoyed my husband and brother with my tagalong nagging and negativity, but I was the one really suffering. While everyone else had either moved on from the inedible chicken or happily enjoyed a drive-through run, I was unnecessarily obsessing, alone with the noise in my brain. It’s exhausting to be this way.

One morning in yoga my instructor and friend Jolie said, “Watch your thoughts; they become your words. Watch your words; they become your actions. Watch your actions; they become your habits. Watch your habits; they become your character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”

I am determined to work on truly letting go of everything I cannot control, to be fully present and to learn to quiet the intrusive thoughts that are stealing my joy. And to acknowledge that my destiny is to eat a spicy chicken sandwich without guilt. Extra pickles, please.

SHELF HELP

Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.

What: “A Discovery of Witches” by Deborah Harkness

Why: Witches are all the rage in romance and fantasy these days and I’m for it. If you’re witch-curious, one of the best is from way back in 2011, when Deborah Harkness created the world that became her All Souls series. Diana Bishop is a young scholar from a family of powerful witches but has never been able to do much with her magic. Matthew Clairmont (or de Clermont, depending on the country and era he’s in) is a handsome vampire from an ancient and powerful clan. When they meet in Oxford, both in pursuit of a mysterious, magical manuscript, sparks fly, literally and figuratively. It’s a story of forbidden love and ancient lore, with history and science playing huge parts. And if you like it, good news: There’s a three-season TV adaptation of the first three books (also available from the library on DVD) and Harkness recently returned to these characters with her fifth book in the series, “The Black Bird Oracle.” Where: This book is available from the Monroe County Public Library in regular and large print and as an eBook and eAudiobook.

How: You can request books, including e-books and e-audiobooks, online by logging in to your account at keyslibraries.org. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? info@keyslibraries.org

Recommended by: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager

See previous recommendations at keyslibraries.org/shelf-help

KIRBY MYERS

Dr. Christina Smith DDS is now accepting new patients and is thrilled to be part of the 7-time Bubba Award-winning Doc Guzman’s o ce.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30

• 11am-7pm Sloppy Joe's Sloppy Hoppy IPA Launch Party

• 1-4pm Belly Flop Pool Party with Islamorada Brewing at Southernmost Beach Resort

• 3-7pm Biergarten at 24 North

• 6-8pm Brews & Bites Bash at First Flight

• 4-8pm Jimmy Buffett Tribute Concert and Cheeseburger Beach Battle at Southernmost Beach Resort

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31

• 8am-2pm Brewery Brunch Pairings at The Perry

• 3-8pm Brewfest Main Beer Tasting at Southernmost Beach Resort VIP 3pm, GA 5pm

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

• 11am-3pm Sunday Funday Sandbar Trip with Beach Weekend

• 11am-5pm Sloppy Joe's Sunshine State Tap Takeover at Joe's Tap Room

• 1-4pm The After Party at Havana Cabana Pool with DJ

• 1-4pm Pool Party and Acoustic Jimmy Buffett Tribute Concert at The Marker

• 6-8pm Cayo Hueso Brewery Dinner at The Perry

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

• 7-9pm Bingo at The Green Parrot

these three simple rules each time you recycle:

• Bagster® bags are available at home improvement stores and online.

• Bagster® bags are easy to use dumpsters in a bag that are strong enough to hold up to 3,300 pounds of debris or waste.

• Schedule your collection online or by phone.

is an astrologer, wanderer, bartender and advocate for queer justice. He is a loquacious Gemini with a cozy Cancer rising. Find him at hearthandheraldastrology.com

VENUS AT HOME

Mercury is moving forward. All those tech, communication and travel issues you’ve been experiencing will vanish, and you can stop rehashing the past. You will integrate all that you’ve learned during this retrograde period through mid-September, so continue to double-check your work. Venus, though, is taking center stage this week, and whenever she is the focus of the celestial dance, relationships, money and beauty will be at the forefront, for better or worse. Venus oversees all that is alluring and relational, everything that pulls us in through a sometimes mysterious magnetism. Venus moves into her home sign of Libra for the next three weeks, eliciting social balance and cohesion, organized and poetic patterns of thought, and an aptitude for initiating plans. As she crosses the threshold into her air sign, however, she encounters powerful and broody Pluto. There will be some murky confusion in our relationships, but there will also be opportunities for powerful, transformative moments. Be wary of projecting your -ish onto other people during this time. If you maintain authenticity and honesty with others, however, this is a potent time for deeply meaningful connections.

Here are your horoscopes for Venus entering Libra opposite Neptune and trine Pluto. Read for your rising and sun signs.

VIRGO

Aug. 23 - Sept. 22

For the next three weeks, you will be a money attractor. Somehow or other, your finances will find a lovely balance. Over the weekend, however, you may experience the exact opposite, with money flowing willy-nilly and your finances looming ominously. However, trust that you will find yourself in the black when it is all said and done. Focusing on what you truly value will naturally enrich you.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

You are at the very beginning of falling in love with yourself for three weeks, Libra! This weekend, though, you may feel a bit of selfsabotage when it comes to doing things you enjoy and you may find yourself not quite know-

ing what to prioritize in your day-to-day. Work through these frustrations with poise because ultimately you get to celebrate your own beauty.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23 - Nov. 21

After a very social period in your life, you are entering a period of relishing the quiet and solitude. Luxuriate under your covers and beautify your meditation space. Spending time at home is particularly empowering, even though you may discover some difficulty focusing on your creative projects. Set the work aside for now and spend time in quiet repose.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22 - Dec. 21

Three weeks of loving the people who love you! There are some special reunions or gatherings coming up for you, Sag, although you need to get through this weekend first. You may find yourself really perplexed with a situation at home, but know that this fog of confusion will pass. Really dig into the love that you have for the people that show up in your life.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

Grace has entered your workspace. If your work is about cultivating relationships or human interaction, you have a few weeks of ease in those connections. If you stand strong in what you value and communicate it clearly, these relationships will really boost your earning potential. However, clear communication may not be available to you until the middle of next week, so plan now and engage later.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

For the next few weeks, let yourself fall in love with a new place or some new ideas. Dive deep into a new sense of wonder because Venus is gracing your house of expanded horizons. Have a night out with a new group of friends, visit a place you’ve never been, read a philosophy you’ve never encountered - it could very well change the course of your life.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

We all have our place in collective karma. Another way to think of that is that each person participates in the good and bad of society. Each person can contribute to the whole in ways both seen and unseen, and for the next few weeks you can influence the group with a particular ease and beauty. How will you invest in a group

effort? Take the weekend to ponder, then dive in next week.

ARIES

March 21 - April 19

With Venus entering your house of partnership, love is decidedly in the air for you, Aries. You are entering an incredibly romantic threeweek period. This time could literally bring love into your life or enhance a love that currently exists. You may also find a truly deep appreciation for a dear friend or partner in life whom you may take a bit for granted. Showing your gratitude will magnify your own joy.

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

There is a method to everything – madness, productivity, love, justice. Finding your flow can make it easier to find your stability and rest. For the next few weeks, you have the unique opportunity to enter into a flow state with your daily routines. How can you love the process of living each day in a way that offers calm productivity?

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20

Mythologist Joseph Campbell was famous for telling us to “Follow your bliss!” For the next few weeks, Gemini, you can do just that. The things that make your heart sing will call out to you, and you simply need to heed that call and find your joy. That is how you know you are on the right path. Some work may get in the way this weekend, but that will clear up by next week.

CANCER

June 21 - July 22

Home is literally where the heart is for the next few weeks. As a Cancer, you already love a nurturing home space, and Venus is shining her beautiful light on your home and family right now. Take the time to appreciate your home as a dear friend, and the confidence your home brings to your life will infuse all of your interactions. Love the place and the people in it.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 22

While some relationships in your life may seem a little confused this weekend, loving where you live will not. I am not talking about your residence; rather, there is a particular romance in the air for your community. Your neighborhood and your surroundings will sparkle with an extra shine the next few weeks, so be sure to soak up all the nutrients your familiar world has to offer.

CHRIS McNULTY

RUNNING THE RUM

Prohibition brought opportunity for the likes of Capone in the Keys

FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY WITH BRAD BERTELLI

Brad is a local historian, author, speaker and Honorary Conch who loves sharing the history of the Florida Keys.

The National Prohibition Act, also known as the Volstead Act, was named for Andrew J. Volstead, the Minnesota Republican and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who sponsored the legislation. It was written to provide a means to enforce the 18th Amendment prohibiting the manufacture, transport, export, sale or possession of alcoholic beverages in the United States.

Passed by Congress on Oct. 28, 1919, the 18th Amendment was placed into effect on Jan. 16, 1920. It was repealed on Dec. 5, 1933.

During the years that booze was officially illegal in the United States, on the east coast, up and down the Atlantic demarcation of the jurisdictional limit of federal waters, hundreds of motherships anchored along an imaginary line from the Florida Keys to the New England states.

It became known as Rum Row. Stocked with liquor, the ships awaited captains willing to run out to international waters to conduct business and smuggle their loads back into the country. While most ships advertised their claim to offer the best deal, some ships enticed customers by offering parties and prostitutes.

The Prohibition years created a need for rumrunners, those men and women who took the chance of loading cases of contraband liquor into fast boats and making the run across federal waters, and to the mainland United States, trying to avoid getting caught.

Back on land, secret (and not so secret) drinking establishments around the country became known as speakeasies, drums, tea rooms and blind pigs. Rumrunning and the rumrunners attracted a larger criminal element. Even Al Capone operated in the Florida Keys — or at least he made the attempt.

According to a story told by Fern Butters, who, with her husband Captain Ed, operated a little motel and restaurant in North Key Largo called the Key Inn, Capone once made Ed an offer. As the story is

told, one day in the late 1920s, an open-air roadster crossed the Card Sound Bridge, drove down State Road 4A and stopped at the roadside motel. The driver and a passenger occupied the vehicle. In some accounts, two machine guns — Tommy guns — were propped up in the backseat.

Fern watched as Ed walked up to the car. The associate, driving the car, opened the door and stepped out. He said, “This is Al Capone. We are going to pull into your dock with our loads, and we will give you $25 a load.”

Ed declined the offer.

The associate replied, “But this is Al Capone, and he is pulling into your dock.”

“I don’t care if he is the Lord Himself,” Ed said. “No one is pulling into my dock, and that’s final.”

When Ed turned and walked away, Fern thought she was about to watch her husband be shot to death. Instead, the man returned to the car, and he and Capone drove off down the bumpy dirt road. It seems likely that Ed Butters was not the only person propositioned that day and that someone else down the road agreed to Capone’s terms.

Had Capone rolled into the roadside motel a couple of years later, he probably would have received an “absolutely.” Circa 1931, the Butters sold to Mabel Harris of Chicago. She changed the name to Mabel’s Place and still offered motel rooms and a restaurant, but also booze, games of chance, and prostitution.

Capone and Mabel did not represent the only criminal element working to take advantage of the environment that Prohibition created. Relatively few things go unnoticed on an island and the waters surrounding them. Wherever booze was smuggled aboard ships, liquor pirates lurked in the shadows. Who were the liquor pirates? These sailors preyed upon the rumrunners working to get their stash delivered to dry land.

To avoid detection, rumrunners making the trek back from Cuba or the Bahamas to the Florida Keys raced to the ragged, mangrove-lined islands with their lights off and throttles wide open. Should the government vessels get too close, the local rumrunners, who knew every nook and cranny of the island chain, would take note of

their location and dump their contraband into the shallows, in a cove, or on some convenient island before speeding away.

Once the coast was clear, they would make their way back to the dump site to recover their booze. However, sometimes, it was no longer where they left it. There were people on shore who hid in the shadows, as well as those who lurked in skiffs close to shore, hoping to spy an illicit load being prematurely dumped. These liquor pirates would sneak up and retrieve the contraband from the shallows and slip away before anyone was the wiser, an act that left the rumrunners empty-handed for all of their efforts.

Of course, transporting the booze was just the first step in the process. There were also the speakeasies, tea rooms and blind pigs that sold it. They took risks, too. Fortunately for those operators in the Keys, the island chain remained a relatively isolated string of islands for most of the Prohibition years. Only in late 1927 was the first road “connecting” the mainland to Key West opened to public transit.

From 1920 to 1927, agents arrived in the Keys via boat or the Key West Extension of Henry Flagler’s Over-Sea Railway. When traveling aboard the train, it was not unusual for operators on the mainland to pass the word down the coconut telegraph that the feds were en route. However, we will have to wait until next week to talk more about that.

COLLEGE GETS $2M BOOST FOR NEW STUDENT HOUSING

Grant comes from Edward B. and Joan T. Knight Foundation

The College of the Florida Keys is $2 million closer to developing its new residential complex for students and the workforce on the Key West campus, thanks to a pledge from the Edward B. and Joan T. Knight Foundation. The gift is the largest contribution to the CFK Foundation in its history.

The college’s new residential complex could include as many as 240 student beds and up to 50 units for CFK employees, educators, first responders and health care workers. Dining and recreational facilities may be incorporated in the design to enrich the living experience. When fully operational, this facility will add to the current 100-bed residence hall, Lagoon Landing, on the waterfront “Point” area on the northwest part of campus.

“We are grateful to the Edward B. and Joan T. Knight Foundation for recognizing the college’s residential complex as a worthy investment in educational opportunities and workforce housing in the Keys,” said college President Jonathan Gueverra.

“With approximately 90% of our current residential students holding

jobs that support the Keys’ economy, an increase in the number of beds will result in an increase in the labor market. These student workers will support CFK’s enrollment growth and fuel the Keys economy with a steady supply of workers without additional pressure on the housing market.”

Students have demanded on-campus housing for decades, but state colleges are not typically allowed to have it. CFK had to get legislative authority and external funding to build Lagoon Landing, which opened in 2011. After several years of operating at capacity, and with a wait list, the college again sought and secured legislative approval to expand the number of student beds and to add workforce housing units.

The college is working with industry leaders, philanthropists and government officials to procure support and seeks another $20 million to begin the project.

More information is available from Lana Gaspari at 305-809-3214 or foundation@cfk.edu. Gifts to the CFK foundation are tax-deductible. — Contributed

REBUILD FLORIDA PROGRAM MIRED IN FRAUD ALLEGATIONS

Summer is on its way out, but hurricane season is about to peak — and Rebuild Florida (a grant-funded partnership between HUD and Florida Commerce) is in deep water.

This program is mired in fraud allegations, and as a taxpayer, we all have skin in the game.

Did you know that $480 million was earmarked to rescue citizens living in storm-ravaged homes? Seven years after Hurricane Irma, approved cases are still pending. Others are marked as complete when they are anything but. The “lucky ones” who received “help” now feel more vulnerable during storms, thanks to shoddy workmanship and inferior materials. And don’t even dream about hurricaneresistant glass — storm-hardening falls into the luxury category.

Residents from Key West to Jacksonville, from coast to coast in the Sunshine State, have endured abusive practices even as subsequent storms exacerbated their misery. Where is the outrage? The oversight? Key lime may be the flavor of choice, but this low-lying island chain has missed out on its slice of the pie.

Fifty million dollars were designated specifically for the Florida Keys. And now, it’s time for some answers. This program was founded on good intentions. Uninsured homeowners who met the stringent criteria would have their homes repaired or rebuilt with the grant funding. It sounds simple, but the process is grueling and soul crushing. So are the endless delays. I am a recipient who was hoodwinked by the lies and have been sidelined since 2019.

The owner of my land lease mobile home park refused to participate, citing the program’s infamous reputation. (Rebuild Florida allegedly hires unskilled labor, damages properties and lacks clear timelines.) As an alternative, they offered to buy me a new mobile home in the community. I toured models and found the perfect floor

plan at the right price. Just before closing, HUD blocked the deal because it violated program rules. You see, Rebuild Florida learns to pilot the plane at maximum capacity. Exhausted, I depleted my 401(k) and settled for a distant rural lot, incurring H.O.A. fees and taxes. Now it sits vacant.

You know fraud is afoot when online support groups emerge, and victims share a common thread — gaslighting, lost documentation and forgotten promises. Management suggests applicants “withdraw if the process becomes too burdensome.”

The physical, financial and emotional fallout of this program is far from over. If I am drafted to serve in this war on corruption, I will proudly be its poster child. Why are we ignoring the decomposing elephant in the room? The stench rides on hurricane force winds and then drifts down from the mainland to the Florida Keys.

How does Alex Kelly, secretary of Florida Commerce, justify the outrageous cost of stuffing families into hotels for up to five years while construction creeps to a halt? He does it by blame-shifting. In 2021, they contracted IEM to administer the Rebuild Florida Irma program. I have one question: Where did our tax dollars really go? Some call it “charity gone wrong.” I call it a CRIME. Our elected officials must steady this ship because it is sinking fast.

Rebuild Florida invokes the “inactive” status to inflate fulfillment reports on project completion — it takes the heat off, temporarily. This protracted abuse is far worse than anything Hurricane Irma inflicted. Meanwhile, FEMA (which announced it has run out of money mid-hurricane season) has embraced the business of sponsoring art exhibitions.

Hey, Florida, examine priorities much?

Sincerely,

Wendy Miller-Aguiar South Florida resident

The late Joan and Edward Knight founded the Edward B. and Joan T. Knight Foundation, which recently provided $2 million to College of the Florida Keys for its new residential complex to offer students affordable housing. CONTRIBUTED

The Aug. 23 cleanup was held at First State bank on North Roosevelt Boulevard. In one hour, 30 volunteers collected 106 pounds of trash, 27 pounds of recycling and 1.75 gallons of cigarette butts. Special thanks to Angie Walterson of First State Bank for hosting the event and providing breakfast for all the volunteers.

HELP KEEP KEY WEST CLEAN

Join a 1-hour cleanup Friday mornings

One hour a week makes a huge difference, and volunteers are welcome every Friday and some Saturday mornings, from 8 to 9 a.m., when the Key West Ploggers clean up a designated area of the island.

Gloves, pickers, buckets, vests, hand sanitizer and a parking pass are provided to all volunteers. A troubling number of cigarette butts and plastic bags have been included in recent hauls. Please remember your reusable bags when shopping so we can keep the plastic off the streets, parking lots and, most importantly, out of the water. And dispose of cigarette butts in any receptacle rather than the street or sidewalk, as from there, they easily end up in the ocean.

The city of Key West and its residents ask everyone to do their part to help keep Key West beautiful. With simple steps like making sure you bag your trash before putting it in your Waste Management trash cans or Dumpsters, and making sure the lids on Dumpsters are closed, will keep a lot of trash from blowing into the streets. Call Waste Management at 305-

Join a Friday morning cleanup each week from 8 to 9 a.m.

Aug. 30: Greene Street to Simonton Beach | Meet in the parking lot by Conch Republic Seafood Co. We will finish at Simonton Beach. Hosted by Just a few Friends, Key West

296-8297 for any furniture items left on the city right of way. Please pick up around your home or apartment complex. Every piece of trash picked up is one less that may end up in the ocean that surrounds and sustains our island community. It is not just the large items you can see easily when you are walking, but the smaller items such as bottle caps and cigarette butts that are collected by the volunteers that make the biggest difference. It takes committed community involvement to keep Key West beautiful and we are making progress with every cleanup event and every spot that’s adopted. Call Dorian Patton at 305-809-3782 to find out how your business, nonprofit or club can help.

— Contributed

TAKE ME HOME?

FIND A FRIEND AT THE FLORIDA KEYS SPCA

The Keys Weekly family loves animals as much as our friends at the Florida Keys SPCA do, and we’re honored each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for adoption at the organization’s Key West campus.

Meet Dunlop, our 2-year-old gray rabbit who loves all things edible and will hop into your heart with her charm.

Muffin is a 3-year-old cat who’s as sweet as her name. She adores people and craves attention. Ready for a forever home, Muffin needs it fast.

From cats and dogs to Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you. The SPCA’s knowledgeable staff will help with advice and care tips while working to ensure a good fit between each pet and its people.

The SPCA’s Golden Paw program also provides special assistance with vet bills and medications for special-needs and older animals that require a little extra TLC.

Check these pages each week for just a few of the animals waiting for a home and see them all at fkspca.org.

Meet Momo, a 2-year-old all-brown Vizsla with boundless energy and love to give. Always up for an adventure or a cozy cuddle, Momo is loyal and lively.

Meet Hummus, a 3-year-old black cat who’s as smooth as her name. She loves belly rubs and soaking up affection.

Say hello to Ozzy, a sweet but shy cat who’s been building confidence since April. He now spends his days in our HR manager’s office. Ozzy would thrive with a patient owner and gets along with other cats.

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Voted BEST LOCAL RETAILER by the Key West People’s Choice Awards 2023 & 2024. And mentioned in Forbes magazine!

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KEY RESORT & MARINA

Greer & Cawley are both wearing pieces by our exclusive retail line Celia B

TRY ’N’ FIND

Words that remind us of Mississippi are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:

BRIDGES, CIVIL WAR, EDUCATION, ELVIS, EVERS, GULF, HURRICANE, INFRASTRUCTURE, LOWLANDS, MAGNOLIA, MEXICO, MISSISSIPPI, NATCHEZ, PETRIFIED, RIVER, SECEDE, UNION, WELLS.

Founded by Betty Debnam

Don't Miss Mississippi

Mississippi became our 20th state when it entered the Union in 1817. The state in the Deep South was the second to secede, or separate, from the Union before the Civil War.

EARLY HISTORY

Several American Indian tribes lived in the area before Europeans arrived, including the Choctaw, Chickasaw and Natchez. The Natchez Indians were almost completely wiped out by the French and never recovered.

Today, most Natchez people are found in Oklahoma.

Hernando de Soto was the first European to explore the area, in 1540, claiming it for Spain. More than 100 years later, the French claimed the region.

After the French and Indian War in the mid1700s, the British gained control of the area.

MISSISSIPPI TODAY

About 3 million people live in the Magnolia State. The largest city and capital is Jackson, with a metro area of about 600,000 people.

Although cotton was a huge crop for Mississippi before the Civil War, the state fell behind afterward because its leaders would not invest in infrastructure (like roads and railroads), public education and development of industries.

As a result, the state still ranks last in income and 49th in education.

Today, automobile plants in Mississippi make Toyota and Nissan cars. Other products made there include processed meats, grain and dairy

products and beverages. People also work in furniture-making.

LIVING IN MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi is thought to be the birthplace of the blues, a type of music that sprang from the songs of slaves as they worked in the fields. Elvis Presley, known as the king of rock ‘n’ roll, was born in Tupelo; his music was inspired by the blues.

Mississipians are no strangers to hurricanes. Not only does the state border the Gulf of Mexico, but almost all of its territory is considered lowlands, on average only 90 meters above sea level. The most recent damaging hurricane was Katrina in 2005, with wind gusts of 134 mph.

WORKING FOR CHANGE

Many historical figures in the civil rights movement got their start in Mississippi. They include:

• Ida B. Wells was born into slavery in Holly Springs in 1862. She was one of the founders of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People); she was also a journalist and teacher. Wells fought for women's rights, including the right to vote. She died in Chicago in 1931.

• Medgar Evers was the NAACP’s first field secretary in Mississippi. He was born in Decatur in 1925. Evers worked to integrate the University of Mississippi Law School. He was assassinated, or killed, at his home in Jackson in 1963.

• Ruby Bridges was born in Tylertown in 1954. You may have seen pictures of her as a 6-year-old as she integrated an elementary school in New Orleans. Today, Bridges is the chair of the Ruby Bridges Foundation, which promotes "the values of tolerance, respect and appreciation of all differences."

Mississippi’s Petrified Forest in Flora is thought to have formed 36 million years ago when a flooding river snatched trees out of the ground. The sections of trunk were buried in debris from the flood. Over time, they decayed and then petrified into stone logs.

Israeli scientists say a marine pandemic that has violently wiped out the Red Sea’s sea urchin population in just a matter of months is now spreading rapidly. The deaths were first noticed in the Gulf of Aqaba and have quickly spread southward into the Indian Ocean and eastward toward Southeast Asia. The same parasite responsible for the deaths also killed 95% of the urchins in the Caribbean two years ago. The urchins are known as the “gardeners” of the sea because they trim algae off coral reefs that otherwise block sunlight, allowing the coral to thrive.

RESOURCES

The Mini Page® © 2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication

by Colleen Sexton

photo by Christopher Barnette

Elvis Presley

Ida B. Wells

Ruby Bridges

Medgar Evers

Mini Fact: The Mississippi River borders or flows through 10 states.

THE SCOREBOARD

AUG. 29

Basilica Volleyball Marathon 8/19 W, 3-1

Marathon Volleyball Mater Bay 8/21 W, 3-0

Coral Shores Volleyball Silver Palms 8/21 W, 3-1

Key West Volleyball Marathon 8/22 W, 3-0

Coral Shores Volleyball Westwood 8/22 W, 3-1

Marathon Football Pompano Beach 8/23 W, 39-30

Coral Shores Football South Homestead 8/23 W, 29-0

Key West Football Clewiston 8/23 W, 35-6

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Key West Volleyball Eustis 8/24 L, 3-2 THIS WEEK

GARCIA

THIS WEEK IN KEYS SPORTS

AUG. 29

8/29 All Keys Teams Golf @ Ocean Reef 1 p.m.

8/29 Coral Shores Volleyball Keys Gate 5:30 p.m.

8/30 Marathon Volleyball @ Florida Christian 5:30 p.m.

8/30

8/30 Coral Shores Football Palmer Trinity School 7 p.m.

8/30 Key West Volleyball Boca Raton 7 p.m.

8/30 Key West Football IMG Academy White 7 p.m.

8/30 Basilica Volleyball @ Shelton 4 p.m.

8/30 Basilica & Coral Shores Cross Country @ Race of the Thoroughbreds 3 p.m.

9/3 Coral Shores Volleyball Basilica 4:30 p.m.

9/3

9/4

9/5 Marathon Volleyball Key West 5:30 p.m.

9/5 All Keys Teams Golf @ Ocean Reef 1 p.m.

9/5 Coral Shores Cross Country @ Larry & Penny Thompson Park 3 p.m.

9/5 Coral Shores Volleyball @ South Homestead 5:30 p.m.

Braulio has the heart of a lion. He is an emotional player and lays it all on the line. He does so much that probably goes unnoticed by most, but I notice. He is willing to do whatever it takes to win.”

—

Sean McDonald, Fins football coach

36.7 total yards yards-per-carry average

ON THE COVER

In last week’s game against Pompano Beach, senior Braulio Garcia ran for 110 yards, including a 64-yard explosion good for a TD. He earned those yards in just three carries, and his 36.7 yards-per-carry average was good enough for the team high. Not bad for a lineman who played guard for the first quarter. Marathon had run through the entire depth chart of blocking backs in a matter of days, but coach Sean McDonald knew where he could find a talented, dependable one.

Garcia made the switch from blocking back to lineman this fall, selflessly giving up the glory of a back for the unglamorous, though crucial, role as lineman for the Fins.

“Braulio never complained once. He always puts the team above self and that is a big part of why we are having success,” explained McDonald.

As a senior, Garcia has shouldered the responsibility of leadership and lifts others up with a lighthearted attitude, but when it comes to football, he is all business. For his willingness to put his team first and rock solid leadership, Braulio Garcia is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.

Braulio

Senior, Marathon Football

For the first time in years, all three Keys gridiron squads vanquished their opponents on the same night to start the regular season. See page 8. Top left: Key West’s Josue Thanus. Top right: Coral Shores’ Yemcel Moreno. Bottom, from left: Marathon’s Fab Louis Jeune, Eduardo Garcia, Tanner Ross, Carlos Lezcano & Shamar Wright. Photos by Maicey Malgrat, Doug Finger and Barry Gaukel.

Photo by BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly

fled to the Keys from the frozen mountains of Pennsylvania hours after graduating from college and never looked back. She is a second-generation coach and educator, and has taught in the public school system for over 25 years. She and her husband met at a beginning teacher meeting in 1997 and have three children born and raised in Monroe County. In her free time, McDonald loves flea markets, historical fiction and long runs in the heat.

sean mcdonald

grew up in Miami and moved to the Keys in 1997. He has spent the last 25 years teaching physical education and coaching virtually every sport for Florida Keys kids ages 4 to 18. If you are reading this and live or lived in the Florida Keys, he has probably taught, coached, or coached against someone you know.

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Key West - Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com

The Keys Weekly Sports Wrap is proud to be the only locally-owned publication providing prep sports coverage from Key Largo to Key West. Together with our writers and photographers, we are committed to providing a comprehensive overview of the world of Keys sports with photography that allows our readers to immerse themselves in game action.

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LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

Conchs,

’Canes prepare

to showcase speed and talent this season

If you’ve never been to a Key West home swim meet, you are most definitely missing out. The longest-serving coach in the Florida Keys, Lori Bosco, started one of several unique traditions many years ago, and still today you will find her team standing beneath the American flag at each home meet. The team collaboratively sings the “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the beginning of each race. Bosco also initiated a post-race congratulatory lineup for both teams in a sport she says is full of sportsmanship and goodwill.

Bosco’s Conchs are playing catch-up a bit this season after their home pool underwent resurfacing, sending them scrambling for practices, but her team now seems ready to represent in the beautifully-redone pool at College of the Florida Keys.

The pool is not the only thing looking great these days. “We lost a lot of seniors last year, but right now we have 10 returners for 21 total on the boys team and eight returners with 14 total on the girls,” Bosco said. “The boys’ numbers are pretty good,” she added, explaining that though the girls’ numbers were a little low, their talent makes up for it.

Returning this season are Aly Camargo, a sophomore who qualified for regionals last season in four events. Camargo is a sprint specialist, qualifying for postseason starts in the 50 and 100 free as well as a pair of relays.

Seniors Reeghan Davis and Lindsey Smith will serve as team captains this season. Both are experienced swimmers, praised by Bosco for their leadership and maturity. Also returning for the Lady Conchs are Colbie Turner, Hadley Bardoni and Mary Searcy, three veterans who should make an immediate positive impact for Key West.

New to the girls high school team, but not the sport, are Ashlyn Pico and Karis Dryer. Both athletes have club experience which they will bring to the Lady Conchs varsity squad this fall.

For the boys, Eli Morris returns for his senior season as a captain. Morris used his specialty, backstroke, to help carry two Conch relays to regionals last season. Joining Morris in leadership roles this season are Matthew Robertson and Jason Frankel.

The boys team will also benefit from the return of Santiago Gonzalez, a 100 and 200 freestyle specialist; Hugo Blinckmann at breaststroke and freestyle; and Jacob Perez, who holds down the distance races for Key West.

tracy mcdonald

Bosco plans to allow the seniors to choose their events in an intrasquad meet for some fun competition and to honor the outgoing athletes in their final competition at CFK. Key West took the plunge for their first competition on Aug. 24 against Port Charlotte High School (results not available at press time).

Coral Shores returns a host of veterans this season. “We have a fantastic group of juniors and seniors who are ready to take the lead and inspire our rookies this year,” said coach Kelly Owens. She named Abbie Sargent, Layne Smith, Allegra Fucaraccio, Sofia Figueredo and Larkin Dunn on the ladies’ side and Evan Osipov, Mason Osipov and Anthony Jeffrey on the boys’. Sargent, Smith and Fucarracio all made the cut last season, qualifying for the state meet, and with three-fourths of their relay teams intact, they have a very good chance of repeating the feat.

Owens and co-head coach Jon Olsen have their eyes set on the big show. They are hoping to repeat last year’s postseason successes, and the coaches as well as the athletes in Coral Shores’ swim program put in the work all year long. Olsen works year-round with some of the athletes, and their work should pay dividends this season. Several athletes partake in open-water long-distance swims to stay competitive in the offseason.

Coral Shores will again feature a group of competitive divers. Last season the ’Canes added a pair of divers to their roster after being without any for several seasons. This year, Owens says more have joined, and she hopes they too will meet the requirements to qualify for the postseason.

The ’Canes are heavy on the leadership this season, with a group of dedicated seniors willing to sacrifice and lead by example in their last year representing Coral Shores. Seniors Sargent, Jeffrey, Evan Osipov, Calista Wittke, Leticia Lima and Rachel Rusch are a special group this season; all six have plenty of experience, strong work ethic and a willingness to set the tempo for the underclassmen.

Johnny Pico, a junior who swam for Key West’s club team long ago, is on the roster, as well as Camargo’s older brother Sebastian, who is taking up competitive swimming for the first time as a junior.

Bosco’s squad includes nine freshmen and 11 first-year swimmers, a bit of an anomaly for Key West. Bosco stressed that her team will focus on PRs for themselves and work on coming together as a team. “You have to work together to win,” she said. “Swimming is both an individual and a team sport.”

With eight home meets and one of their three away meets at Founders Park in Islamorada, Conch fans have plenty of opportunities to see the Southernmost swimmers in competition. Although Bosco has been coaching for nearly three decades, she keeps things fresh with creative solutions each season. This year the crafty coach has added an event to her busy schedule to benefit athletes and parents alike.

“Usually our last home meet is senior day. This year it is on a Thursday at 1 p.m. and a lot of parents can’t be there,” she explained. “We also have a week between the last meet and Districts, so to keep them swimming that week, we are having a Saturday senior show day.”

always show up with a positive attitude,” Owens added. “I year.”

Owens described her seniors as “truly some of the best leaders and a great group of role models for our up-andcoming swimmers. Regardless of their level in the pool, they always show up with a positive attitude,” Owens added. “I am looking forward to seeing their influence on our team dynamic this year.”

Although

Although the Lady ’Canes return a majority of their roster, including multiple state qualifiers, they did lose a key sprinter last season to graduation and will need to find a fourth swimmer to fill in on their highly-successful relay teams. Owens is not too worried, though.

teams. Owens is not too worried, though.

“I believe we have the depth to make a seamless transition,” she said.

“I tion,” she said.

As

As of press time, Coral Shores’ schedule had not been finalized, but the Hurricanes are doing everything they can to take South Florida by storm this season and bring home more hardware to the Keys.

schedule hardware

Clockwise from top left: Jason Frankel, Abbie Sargent, Allegra Fucaraccio and Reeghan Davis. Photos by Mark Hedden and Doug Finger

BASILICA SCHOOL OPENS NEW CHAPTER WITH A ‘W’

Hurricanes win two, but lose coach

For the first time in decades, Basilica School, formerly Mary Immaculate, participated in varsity athletics last week. The Mariners began their new chapter with a win against Marathon, defeating the Lady Fins 3-1 on Aug. 19.

The former high school, which closed in 1986, has a rich history in athletics on the island. While its doors were once shuttered due to declining enrollment, the school now boasts a waiting list which school president and varsity volleyball coach Robert Wright attributes to its reputation and parents and students seeking faith-based instruction.

“Starting the season with a 'W' is always a good thing, especially after taking 38 years off from varsity competition,” Wright said. “Although we won, we were not satisfied with our play overall. We have to bring down our errors."

In their inaugural match, a genuine team effort led to the victory. Uma Vogan registered a dozen kills, a solo block and assisted on another while hustling for 24 digs. Gloria Slavik killed 8, assisted 18 and earned 21 digs. Olivia Revoredo and Mackenzie Morris each scored a pair of aces and Kayden Davis was perfect at the baseline, landing all 22 of her serves offensively, then adding 11 digs for the Mariners’ defense.

The Mariners defeated Marathon in Key West, but the Fins didn’t go down without a fight. Basilica School got off to an early lead, winning the first set 25-12, but Marathon dug deep in set two, tying it up with a 27-25 win of their own. Sets three and four belonged to the Mariners, who won 25-19 then 25-23 to win their first varsity contest at home, 3-1.

"I was exceptionally proud of our team leaders, juniors Gloria Slavik and Mackenzie Morris,” said Wright. “I was also blown away by the offensive production of two of our middle school starters."

The Mariners have a handful of juniors on their roster, which is also peppered with middle school students. Despite missing a pair of key athletes until mid-September, Wright feels confident in his team. He said the girls are gaining momentum and getting better every day, making them an interesting addition to Keys volleyball schedules not only this season, but for many to come.

Coral Shores stormed the courts this season, earning a quick 2-0 record with wins over Somerset Silver Palms and Westwood Christian last week. Jarrod Mandozzi, named head coach a few hours before the first regular season match after the resignation of previous head coach Sam Ovalle, was an assistant coach last season with the Hurricanes’ program. Mandozzi had hung up his whistle and was set to enjoy his role as the Lady ’Canes’ number one fan.

“I can tell you I certainly never expected to be here this season,” he said. “I helped Sam last season so I know all of the girls and I’ve had some of them in basketball in the past.” Ovalle stepped down to attend to personal matters early last week.

“He is an amazing coach and a great friend, so while I didn’t expect to be here and have the time, I made the time for him and the girls when Sam, Rich (Russell) and Ed (Holly) shared the situation,” Mandozzi said.

Though Mandozzi felt a bit shaky about his abrupt takeover, the Lady ’Canes seemed steady on their feet, taking a quick lead over district rival Somerset Silver Palms in their season opener on the road on Aug. 22. But the Stallions battled back and won the first set, 26-24. Coral Shores quickly regrouped and swept the final three sets to win the match 3-1. Mandozzi expressed great pride in his team’s ability to shake off the week’s disappointments and the first set to come back to start their season off in the win column.

The team added to their win count the following night in their home opener against Westwood Christian School in another 3-1 victory. Over the course of both games, Grace Leffler had 20 kills for the ’Canes. Shelby Lynn served up 6 aces and Abby Bergeron added 4 more. Ivy Tiedemann was credited with 33 assists and Lynn assisted 27 times. Niveah Howard led in blocks, denying 13 times with some of them described by Mandozzi as “emphatic.” Sofia Jans chalked up 33 digs in the pair of matches. The next test for the Hurricanes will be an exciting one; they play Basilica School in Tavernier on Sept. 3.

Just across the island from Basilica, Key West enjoyed a season home opener win against Marathon on Aug. 22. The Lady Conchs, led by head coach Kim Butler, won it in three sets, led by Gabby Garcia with a dozen kills against the Fins. Audrey Smith had 8 kills with a .462 attacking efficiency. Reese Haggard earned 19 assists and Garcia and Kuhn were praised for their passing in a game Butler said she was happy to win, but felt it could have been played cleaner.

Hot off their sweep of Marathon, the Conchs hosted Eustis High on Aug. 24. Smith was a standout again with 12 kills and a .333 hitting percentage, 5 blocks and 3 aces. Tess Wright had 4 kills and a .375 efficiency and added a block at the net. Garcia killed 16 Panther shots while Haggard added another 24 assists to her stats. Molly McKnight assisted 12 times and earned 2 aces serving. The gameplay was furious, with both teams showing brilliant hitting and accuracy at the baseline. It would take all five sets to determine a winner, but in the end, Eustis came away with the victory. Key West hosted neighboring Basilica School on Aug. 28 for a newly-rekindled in-town rivalry match (results not available at presstime). The Lady Conchs have another home match scheduled against Boca Raton on Friday, Aug. 30, then have a break in their schedule lasting until a quick trip to Marathon toward the end of September.

Monroe County competition gave Marathon some trouble last week, with losses to Basilica School and Key West High, but the Fins looked great against Mater Bay on Aug. 21. Marathon beat the Rays in three sets, not allowing Mater to score more than 11 in any one game.

Coach Kelley Cruz was happy to get her athletes some experience in the match. “We were able to get everyone some playing time,” she said. Cruz was still trying to figure out her best lineup, but the past week has allowed for Marathon to get the right fit at each spot.

“I think we identified roughly who our starting six are,” Cruz said. “Elena (Eubank) showed some impressive skill at the net. She was able to showcase her skill of placement. Allison Helms, Tiana Palma and Mia Olivia all shared digs in the back row. Shynell McGuire was a utility player getting kills. Daysi Williams, Sara Strama, Addison Collins and Mackenzie Nielson also shared kills at the net. Mackenzie Budi is always a force in the back row hitting and digging hard hits.”

Up next for the Fins will be a match at Florida Christian on Aug. 30; then they will have a break until Sept. 12, when they travel to Fort Lauderdale to take on the Sharks of NSU University School.

FAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

Keys golfers conquer one of the top-ranked courses in Florida

Athletes representing Key West, Marathon and Coral Shores enjoyed a rare occurrence last week: Members of their high school varsity golf teams played nine holes at Ocean Reef’s Dolphin Course. On a course described as exclusive, remote and dazzling, the golfers and their coaches could not agree more, as each head coach expressed excitement about the opportunity for their athletes.

Key West registered the lowest scores on the manicured course, with the Conchs winning the top four spots in the boys division and the only five in the girls. Claudia Steling beat a field of four teammates, shooting a 53 on the day. Steling, a junior, brings experience and leadership to her team and is playing very well for the start of the season. Behind Steling was a pair of sophomores. Lexi Finigan was just two strokes behind, while Charlize Lopez shot a 64. The seniors shored up the top five spots, with Monica Bueno shooting a 69 and Breanna Santanna penciling in a 71.

While Key West’s girls were competing against one another, the boys had a bit more competition. Key West won the match with a combined score of 176 to Marathon’s 196. Coral Shores was close behind in third at 201. Helping to secure Key West’s win were seniors Jackson Barroso and Peyton Zubieta, who tied at 43. Geo Twyman, a sophomore, and senior Andrew Bassett tied at 45 apiece to take the next two spots.

Next was Marathon’s Leo Mendez in fifth place with a 46. One stroke behind was fellow senior Dolphin Mason Thornton in a three-way tie for sixth place alongside Coral Shores’ senior Preston Carroll and junior Brock Bynum. Hurricane senior Tanel Irons and Dolphin sophomore Roco Piscetello rounded out the top 10 with 49 strokes each.

The teams will be seeing a lot of one another in the next few weeks, playing up and down the Keys all season long. The teams have matches at Key West, Marathon and more action at the prestigious Ocean Reef course on the schedule. The Lady ’Canes and Lady Fins will join the Lady Conchs beginning this week for some friendly competition and Basilica School could make an appearance in the coming weeks as well.

Lexi Finigan. KEYS WEEKLY FILE PHOTO

Keys

teams perfect in season openers

TRIFECTA

Monroe County has not seen wins from all three of its football teams on the same night since 2018, but last Friday, Key West, Marathon and Coral Shores each won at home in their regularseason openers. For Marathon and Key West, the wins avenged losses last season; for Coral Shores, it was affirmation that the ’Canes are exactly where they want to be this fall.

Coach Ed Holly was delighted with his defense against South Homestead, a team he warned should not be taken lightly by future opponents despite the Hurricanes’ 29-0 shutout. “They are very athletic with a lot of speed,” he said. “They did not have the benefit of a preseason game and were still working some things out. I’m glad we played them in Week 1 because they’re going to get better and better.” But it was going to take more than speed to get past the Coral Shores secondary, which wreaked havoc all night long.

A large part of the Hurricane wrecking crew was Eddie Holly, who racked up 8 solo tackles, 4 assisted tackles, 1 tackle for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Connor Dixon had 4 solo and 4 assisted tackles plus a forced fumble. Holly, Dixon and the rest of the defense gave South Homestead little to work with, especially after the first drive of the game, which broke the hearts and resolve of the visiting Somerset team.

“We came out on our first drive and AJ Putetti finished it with a 1-yard touchdown run,” Holly said. “Then they (South Homestead) drove it down all the way to the goal line. Our defense was successful in a goal-line stance.” After holding the line, the Coral Shores defense handed the ball back to the offense, which promptly resulted in a Putetti 80-yard touchdown and 2-point conversion which gave Coral Shores a 15-point lead early in the matchup.

Holly has been very careful reinstating his quarterback, Yemcel Moreno, to full duties. Moreno, who is coming off a season-ending knee injury last year exacerbated by a reinjury in the spring game, was given the green light in quarter three. As soon as Holly unleashed Moreno, South Homestead was left scrambling to defend the additional layer of offensive capabilities. Moreno scored twice in the second half, resulting in a 29-0 win for Coral Shores.

“The guys played well in our first home game. It was a great night for football,” said Holly, whose team hosts another familiar foe next week. “We had a lot of support from everyone, the cheerleaders, a big crowd, everything.”

The Hurricanes will face the Falcons of Palmer Trinity on Aug. 30 in Tavernier. The Falcons struggled to beat SmartEn Academy, a team that has yet to win a ballgame since their inception, in their season opener, giving Holly’s Hurricanes a lot of hope to stack some serious stats in Week 2.

Forty miles away, the Dolphins enjoyed a season-opener win of their own. Last year, the Golden Tornadoes of Pompano Beach bested the Fins by one point. Last Friday, the Dolphins channeled assistant coach Carl “Chef” Stanton’s Big Dolphin Energy to come out with an early 24-point lead.

The Dolphins’ offense ran for 515 yards on Aug. 23, scoring 5 touchdowns from four different athletes. Carlos Lezcano had the game high of 153 yards and added 2 TDs to his stats. The senior captain also recovered a

1.

2.

3. The Conchs student section takes up a ‘No Longer Under Construction’ theme on Friday night.

4. Fab Louis Jeune carries the ball early in the Fins’ opener.

5. Carlos Lezcano (1) and Jesus Gonzalez (4) celebrate the first of two Marathon onside-kick recoveries in their season opener on Aug. 23.

6. Dolphin junior Shamar Wright breaks to the outside on his first touchdown run of the season.

7. Aiden Gilday (66) protects kicker Fab Louis Jeune (2) in a point-after-touchdown attempt.

8-10. The Coral Shores Hurricanes put a 29-0 beatdown on South Homestead to open their season on Aug. 23.

more game photos at keysweekly.com.

Jayden Gist hauls in an interception in the Tigers’ end zone.

Molly Catena and her stunt group (Molly Kirkpatrick, Madi Wiggins, Britney Salter and Nataly Rios) throw a basket.

Photos by Tracy McDonald, Doug Finger and Maicey Malgrat. See

fumble on defense. Tanner Ross, Fab Louis Jeune, Shamar Wright and Braulio Garcia had the rest of the yards, with Louis Jeune, Wright and Garcia all crossing the goal line for the Fins.

Garcia, who played guard for the better part of the game, had not taken a single snap at the back position all season prior to Friday night. The Fins were three deep at blocking back in their preseason game, but were left scrambling after a series of injuries. Garcia was trusted with 3 carries and broke one for a 64-yard touchdown run.

Despite giving up 30 points, head coach Sean McDonald said his defense did well. “We made some mistakes,” he said, “but the defense did what they were supposed to do and are really starting to get it.” Much of Marathon’s defense is young but full of talent. Sophomore Sean Westerband stepped up big for the Fins, picking off an interception and amassing 4 solo tackles, 3 assists and a fumble recovery. Fellow sophomore Jesus Gonzalez batted down a pass and was credited with a pair of solo tackles and 3 assists.

Special teams were also crucial in the win. The Fins recovered a pair of onside kicks to keep the ball in the hands of their offense. And while many joke about McDonald never kicking the ball deep, he gives the go-ahead occasionally.

“Fab can boot it into the end zone from a lot further out than we’ve been able to do in a long time, so when it looks like that’s the case, we have that option now,” he said.

Marathon was grateful for the win, but will need a few more this season to make a run past October. “Since moving to the rural division, every win counts. If we want to make the playoffs, we need wins and strength of schedule, and this one was meaningful,” said McDonald. This season the Dolphins joined the 1A Rural division of the FHSAA, and will not face another division opponent unless they make it to the playoffs via a ranking algorithm.

If the Fins hope to add a second win to their playoff equation, they’ll need to beat Florida Christian on the road. Marathon defeated the Patriots last season, but a new head coach and amped-up system could make that win more difficult this year.

Key West was scheduled to host the Tigers of Clewiston in the newly-remodeled Tommy Roberts Memorial Stadium last Friday, but in true cat fashion, the Tigers had no intention of playing in the water. An afternoon downpour had swamped the stadium, and though it was potentially playable, the Conchs acquiesced to the Tigers’ demands and played in The Backyard on the turf. The surface didn’t make one bit of difference for Clewiston, whose Tigers were sent home reeling from a 35-6 Key West thumping, avenging a 1-touchdown loss last season.

The biggest difference between last season’s outcome versus last week’s was in turnovers. In 2023, the Conchs turned the ball over seven times; last Friday, Key West brought that down to just one, resulting in a big home victory over the Tigers. Jaden Fox, described by Hughes as the Conchs’ workhorse, struck first against Clewiston on a short trap for the first 6 points of the game. Walson Morin, Hughes’ “home run guy,” added 3 touchdowns to the score, with one coming off an electrifying 85-yard kick return.

The Conchs had a piece of their offensive puzzle back with Jeff DeJean’s return. DeJean’s speed and athleticism adds another page to Key West’s playbook.

“We need to keep him healthy, because he gives us some explosive potential,” Hughes said. DeJean scored on a 70-yard sweep, breaking free and showing off his velocity to a delighted Key West crowd.

The offense was not the only part of the game Hughes felt played fantastic last week. “The defense had good coverage, good pass rush and showed major improvement in the secondary,” he explained. “Jayden Gist had a nice interception and that gave us a boost.”

Key West will face a daunting opponent this week when Bradenton’s IMG Academy White team rolls into the Southernmost City. The Conchs are 1-1 against the Ascenders, playing them twice in the past seven years. IMG claims a star-studded roster 77 players deep, accepting only the top-rated talent across the country. But the Ascenders are not used to the gritty hardnosed running style the Conchs can deliver, making for an exciting matchup on Friday, Aug. 30.

RUNNING

STRONG

Conchs enjoy early season success at Conquistador Kickoff

The Conchs were the first Keys team to toe the line at a cross country meet this season, and head coach Keara McGraw could not be happier with her teams’ performances. Both the boys and girls teams traveled to Larry and Penny Thompson Park in Miami to participate in the FNU Conquistador Kickoff on Aug. 23. Four boys made the trip, and though they did not have enough runners to place as a team, newbies Alejanro Caridad and Sawyer Hill ran outstanding races for first-meet freshman racers. Hill was first for the Conchs, placing 19th overall with a time of 20:04.

“Both placed incredibly well and were just about where I predicted they’d be at this point of our very early season, and I’m looking forward to seeing their potential growth in the coming weeks,” McGraw said. McGraw also praised Will Forster and Prometheus Delacerda for their leadership as well as strong performances at the event.

The girls brought five runners, enough for a team, and placed third overall. Naima Thomas led the pack, proving that an intense summer training program was worth it. Thomas destroyed her previous PR by 40 seconds, running a respectable 21:03 to take second place overall in the meet.

Right at her heels was Caylaa Makimaa, typically the Lady Conchs’ top finisher and an individual state qualifier in 2023. McGraw said Makimaa was under the weather, but felt good enough to use the race as a training run. “Caylaa has been sick and coming off being injured,” McGraw said, “so I gave her a workout to do in the race to try to balance the comeback.” Her 21:30 “workout” bodes well for her upcoming season.

Sophomore Violet Jangraw cracked the top 20 in the race, and Laira Anaya and Deanna Mercer, both seniors, rounded out the third-place finishing Lady Conchs. “Friday's race was a great rust buster and starting place for many of our team,” McGraw said, concluding that the Conquistador Kickoff was a “great start to our season.”

Prometheus Delacerda, left, and Naima Thomas.

MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

U-HAUL COMPANY OF MIAMI

Notice is here by given that on September 9th, 2024, Leonard Richford Jr. Storage

com. Completed applications should be emailed to sydney@ fla-keys.com or may be sent via U.S. mail to the address below:

Department DAC

Monroe County Tourist Development Council

1201 White Street, Suite 102 Key West, FL 33040

Department DAC

Judicial Lien Process, By Public Auction, the following storage units. The Terms of the sale will be cash only. U-Haul Company does reserve the right to refuse any bids. The sales will Begin at 8:00 a.m. and continue day by day until all units are sold. The names of whose units will be sold are as follows:

Location: 103530 Overseas

Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037

Nidia Gonzalez – 1761

$514.60

Yanet Pere – 1419

$493.90

Michael Gamble - 1349

$739.50

Publish:

August 22 & 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

DISTRICT I ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC I) (Encompasses the city limits of Key West) of the MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

has an opening for a LODGING INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVE – shall be owners or operating/general managers of motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks, or other tourist accommodations which are subject to bed tax in the tax collection district for which they are applying. Any person wishing to participate on the District I Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above, may request an application by emailing sydney@fla-keys.

Monroe County Tourist Development Council 1201 White Street, Suite 102 Key West, FL 33040

application at the above address is 5:00 p.m. on Friday September 27, 2024. A resume may be attached to the application. Publish: August 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

Deadline for receipt of application at the above address is 5:00 p.m. on Friday October 4, 2024. A resume may be attached to the

The deadline for receipt of application at the above address is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 27, 2024. A resume may be attached to the application.

Publish:

August 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.

August 29, 2024

DISTRICT IV ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC IV)

The Weekly Newspapers

DISTRICT III ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC III) (From the West End of the Seven Mile Bridge to the Long

MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

has an opening for an “At Large” representativeAny resident who is not directly involved in a tourism business and who shall represent the general public and shall live or work within the tax collection district for which they are applying (The operative word within this description is directly. This word means someone who is not in business, nor whose business or economic activity are dependent upon tourists).

(Between the Long Key Bridge and mile marker 90.939) of the MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL has a vacancy for an “At Large” representative - Any resident who is not directly involved in a tourism business and who shall represent the general public and shall live or work within the tax collection district for which they are applying (The operative word within this description is directly. This word means someone who is not in business, nor whose business or economic activity are dependent upon tourists).

Any person wishing to participate on the District IV Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above, may request an application by emailing sydney@fla-keys. com. Completed applications should be emailed to sydney@ fla-keys.com or may be sent via U.S. mail to the address below:

DISTRICT IV ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC IV) (Between the Long Key Bridge and mile marker 90.939) of the MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL has 2 openings for a LODGING INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVE – shall be owners or operating/general managers of motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks, or other tourist accommodations which are subject to bed tax in the tax collection district for which they are applying. Any person wishing to participate on the District IV Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above, may request an application by emailing sydney@fla-keys. com. Completed applications should be emailed to sydney@ fla-keys.com or may be sent via U.S. mail to the address below:

Department DAC Monroe County Tourist Development Council 1201 White Street, Suite 102 Key West, FL 33040 Deadline for receipt of application at the above address is 5:00 p.m. on Friday October 4, 2024. A resume may be attached to the application.

Any person wishing to participate on the District III Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above, may request an application by emailing sydney@fla-keys. com. Completed applications should be emailed to sydney@ fla-keys.com or may be sent via U.S. mail to the address

below:

Department DAC Monroe County Tourist Development Council 1201 White Street, Suite 102 Key West, FL 33040 Deadline for receipt of

MEETING NOTICE MONROE COUNTY LAND AUTHORITY

Publish: August 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE QUARTERLY MEETING NOTICE: LOCAL COORDINATING BOARD FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED

Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040. The names and addresses of the Personal Representative and the Personal Representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.

The date of first publication of this Notice is: August 22, 2024.

Personal Representative: KATHERINE M. WILLIAMS

c/o Samuel J. Kaufman, Esq.

Law Offices of Samuel J. Kaufman, P.A.

3130 Northside Drive

Key West, Florida 33040

Attorney for Personal Representative: Samuel J. Kaufman, Esq. Florida Bar No. 0144304

Law Offices of Samuel J. Kaufman, P.A.

3130 Northside Drive

Key West, Florida 33040

Email designation for service: Service.Probate@ samkaufmanlaw.com

Telephone: (305) 292-3926

Fax: (305) 295-7947

Publish: August 22 & 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 24-DR-385-P

DIVISION: FAMILY SA RO MILE, Petitioner, and NANT MARY YIN AYE, Respondent.

CORRECTED NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT)

TO: NANT MARY YIN AYE RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: NO KNOWN

ADDRESS

IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 24-DR-106-P DIVISION: FAMILY WAYNE THOMAS LEAHY Petitioner, and TAMIE LEIGH LEAHY, Respondent. CORRECTED NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT) TO: TAMIE LEIGH LEAHY RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 1508 Delaware Avenue, Apt. 1B, Wilmington, DE 19806

YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for Dissolution of Marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Jack Bridges, Counsel for Petitioner, whose address is P.O. Box 1714, Tavernier, FL 33070 on or before September 5, 2024, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 88770 Overseas Highway, Tavernier, FL 33070, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: None Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request.

Notice is hereby given that the Governing Board of the Monroe County Land Authority will hold virtual/hybrid public hearings on the adoption of a budget for fiscal year 2025. The hearings will be held using Communications Media Technology (CMT) in the form of a Zoom Webinar platform on September 4, 2024 at 5:05 p.m. and on September 11, 2024 at 5:05 p.m. Members of the public may participate in the September 4 hearing online by typing https://mcbocc.zoom.us/j/89204098700; or via telephone by dialing 1-646-518-9805 and entering Webinar ID 892 0409 8700; or in person at the Harvey Government Center located at 1200 Truman Avenue, Key West, FL and the September 11 hearing by typing https://mcbocc.zoom.us/j/89204098700; or via telephone by dialing 1-646-518-9805 and entering Webinar ID 892 0409 8700; or in person at the Nelson Government Center located at 102050 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL. The meeting agenda, the proposed budget, and additional details about accessing the hearings are available at www.monroecounty-fl.gov. For additional information or to submit written or other physical evidence for consideration at the meeting, contact John Beyers via phone at (305) 295-5180; via email at beyers-john@monroecounty-fl.gov; or via mail to Monroe County Land Authority, 1200 Truman Avenue, Suite 207, Key West, FL 33040.

ADA ASSISTANCE If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in these proceedings, please contact the County Administrator's Office, by phoning 305-292-4441, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., no later than five (5) calendar days prior to the scheduled meeting; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call "711".

The Monroe County Local Coordinating Board (LCB) will be holding its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting on Friday, September 6, 2024 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am at the Marathon Government Center, 1st Floor Media Room, 2798 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The primary purpose of the Coordinating Board is to provide information and advice to the Community Transportation Coordinator on the coordination of services provided to the transportation disadvantaged population of Monroe County, pursuant to Chapter 427.0157, Florida Statutes. Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), any person requiring special accommodations at this meeting due to a disability or physical impairment, and any related questions or inquiries concerning this meeting should be directed to Anjana Morris at the Health Council of South Florida, Inc. at (305) 592-1452 ext. 101 at least 72 hours prior to the date of the meeting.

Publish: August 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

CASE NUMBER: 24-CP-403-K IN RE: ESTATE OF WAYNE LAMAR KLINE

Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the Estate of WAYNE LAMAR KLINE, deceased, whose date of death was November 18, 2023, is pending in the Circuit

The date of first publication of this notice is: August 22, 2024. Petitioner: DUSTIN KLINE 555 W. Main Street Centreville, Michigan 49032

Attorney for Petitioner: PAUNECE SCULL, ESQ. Florida Bar No. 729477 paunece@scullpa.com SCULL & SCULL, P.A. 302 Southard Street, Ste. 105 Key West, Florida 33040 TEL: (305) 407-6897

Publish: August 22 & 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspaper

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 24-CP-343-K IN RE: THE ESTATE OF JEFFREY W. WILLIAMS, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of JEFFREY W. WILLIAMS, deceased, whose date of death was May 10, 2024, Case: 24-CP-343-K, is pending in the Circuit Court, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, on whom a copy of this notice is served must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.

All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate,

YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for Dissolution of Marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Jack Bridges, Counsel for Petitioner, whose address is P.O. Box 1714, Tavernier, FL 33070 on or before September 5, 2024, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 88770 Overseas Highway, Tavernier, FL 33070, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: None Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request.

You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office. WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.

Dated: August 1, 2024

Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Jaquelyn Fonseca Deputy Clerk Publish: August 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT,

You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office.

WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.

Dated: August 1, 2024 Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Jaquelyn Fonseca Deputy Clerk Publish: August 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION/ SALE FOR NON-JUDICIAL TIMESHARE FORECLOSURE RE: THE CALOOSA COVE RESORT OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC MONROE County, Florida Non-Judicial Timeshare foreclosure process NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION/ SALE FOR NON-JUDICIAL TIMESHARE FORECLOSURE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, pursuant to an action for non-judicial foreclosure of timeshare units on the Assessment Claim of Lien, which is dated August 4, 2023 and was recorded August 4, 2023, in the Official Records of Monroe County, Florida in Official Records Book 32379, Page 1984 as Instrument Number 2427575, and that Assessment Claim of Lien which is dated August 16, 2023 and was recorded August 24, 2023, in the Official Records of Monroe County, Florida in Official Records Book 3239, Page 1847 as Instrument Number 2429502, I will sell, to the highest and best bidder for cash, at CALOOSA COVE RESORT Manager’s Office, 73801 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036 on the 4th day of SEPTEMBER, 2024, at 11:30 a.m., the following described real property

located in MONROE County, Florida, to-wit:

Those certain Unit Numbers and Weeks as set forth herein in CALOOSA COVE

RESORT, a Condominium, according to the Declaration of Condominium thereof, recorded in Official Records Book 827, Page 2050, of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida and all amendments and exhibits thereto, together with an undivided share in the common elements appurtenant thereto.

Unit Number:/Week #

115/48

118/30

122/37

124/50

126/35, 36

127/44

204/42, 46

208/17, 45, 48

210/18

215/42, 50

220/24

222/32

224/09, 10, 18, 30

227/07, 08, 25

TO:

Unit Owner(s) Last Known Address

Unit/Week(s):

Amount due:

Anneli De Carvalho

356 NE 102nd Street

Miami Shores, FL 33138

122/37

$2,562.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.27 from August

2, 2023

Baron Fry

2595 Edenville Path

The Villages, FL 32162

204/42

$4,450.88 with a per diem

amount of $2.20 from August 2, 2023

Bryan Marcinko

1390 Scott Road

Kehly, NC 27542

208/48

$2,562.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.27 from August 2, 2023

Brenda Bashaw 3089 Newburgh Street

Port Charlotte, FL 33952

126/35

$2,562.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.27 from August

2, 2023

126/36

$2,562.11 with a per diem amount of $1.27 from August 2, 2023

Charles McClure

5087 Raintree Drive

Pittsburgh, PA 15236

215/42

$3,537.26 with a per diem

amount of $1.75 from August

2, 2023

Edward Lutz and Mary Lutz

The Estate of Edward Lutz

All heirs and devisees of the Estate of Edward Lutz

The Estate of Mary Lutz

All heirs and devisees of the Estate of Mary Lutz

615 Mazur Avenue

Paramis, NJ 07652

227/07

$3,160.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.56 from August

2, 2023

224/10

$3,160.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.56 from August

2, 2023

227/08

$3,160.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.56 from August

2, 2023

220/24

$3,160.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.56 from August

2, 2023

224/09

$3,160.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.56 from August

2, 2023

Forrest McGinley

204 East Cypress Avenue

Howey In The Hills, FL 34737

222/32

$4,311.36 with a per diem

amount of $2.13 from August

2, 2023

Gary Iverson

334 French Road Onalaska, WI 54650

204/46

$3,537.26 with a per diem amount of $1.75 from August

1105 Carraway Street Tallahassee, FL 32508

227/25

$4,139.64 with a per diem amount of $2.05 from August 2, 2023

Jack Chinn 1189 Augusta Court Shawnee, OK 74801

127/44

$3,537.26 with a per diem amount of $1.75 from August 2, 2023

Judith Hagopian

7420 Cedar Avenue Tacoma Park, MD 20912

124/50

$2,562.11 with a per diem amount of $1.27 from August 2, 2023

Kirsten Schaefer 41 Oak Court Lincoln Park, NJ 07035

115/48

$1,062.11 with a per diem amount of $0.53 from August 2, 2023

Loretta Fregien 2763 Pepperridge Cout San Jose, CA 95148

118/30

$1,500.00 with a per diem amount of $0.74 from August 2, 2023

224/30

$1,500.00 with a per diem amount of $0.74 from August 2, 2023

Linda Asta 2 Loon Lane Placida, FL 33946

210/18

$3,161.11 with a per diem amount of $1.56 from August 2, 2023

M Turner

3078 Lake Ranch Drive Gainesville, GA 30506

208/17

$5,050.74 with a per diem amount of $2.49 from August 2, 2023

Steven Sebby

201 Leisure Street Yorkville, IL 60560

215/50

$2,562.11 with a per diem amount of $1.26 from August 2, 2023

Tommy Driggers P.O. Box 667 Mount Pleasant, TX 75455

208/45

$2,562.11 with a per diem amount of $1.26 from August 2, 2023

William Distaso 553 Tennant Road Manalapan, NJ 07726

224/18

$3,160.11 with a per diem amount of $1.56 from August 2, 2023

The assessment lien created by the Claims of Lien was properly created and authorized pursuant to the timeshare instrument and applicable law, and the amounts secured by said lien are as set above.

You may cure the default at any time prior to the public auction by paying the amount due, as set forth in this notice, to the undersigned Trustee at the address set forth below. THIS NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION/SALE is dated this 4th day of AUGUST, 2024. THOMAS L AVRUTIS ____________________/ THOMAS L. AVRUTIS, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CALOOSA COVE RESORT OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC

201 Fletcher Avenue, 2nd Floor Sarasota, FL 34237

Telephone (941) 955-7300

Facsimile (941) 953-7625

Email: john@timesharenjf.com

Publish: August 29 & September 5, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

AMENDED NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION/SALE FOR NON-JUDICIAL TIMESHARE FORECLOSURE RE: MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB II ASSOCIATION, INC. MONROE County, Florida Non-Judicial Timeshare foreclosure process

NON-JUDICIAL TIMESHARE FORECLOSURE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, pursuant to an action for non-judicial foreclosure of timeshare units on the Claim of Lien, which was dated February 15, 2024 and was recorded March 11, 2024, in the Official Records of Monroe County, Florida in Official Records Book 3266, Page 237 as Instrument Number 2453967, Florida, I will sell, to the highest and best bidder for cash, at MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB CONDOMINIUM II RESORT Manager’s Office, 4560 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050 on the 4th day of SEPTEMBER, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., the following described real property located in MONROE County, Florida, to-wit: Annual Timeshare Periods as set forth below in MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB CONDOMINIUM II, according to the Declaration of Condominium thereof, recorded in Official Records Book 859, at Page 786, as amended in Official Records Book 874, at Page 2169, all of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida and all subsequent amendments and exhibits thereto.

Unit Number/Use Period

A 101/43, 46, 47

A 102/01, 02, 39, 40, 41, 47

A 202/36, 47

B 102/46, 47

B 201/42

B 202/40

C 201/44

C 202/49, 50

D 202/49

E 101/41, 48

E 102/36, 48, 50

E 201/40, 41

E 202/39, 41, 47, 48

TO:

Unit Owner(s)

Last Known Address

Annual Timeshare Use

Period(s):

Amount due:

Terry K Barbour and Faith D Barbour

P.O. Box 605

Atlantic Beach, NC 28512

A 102/39

$4,524.79 with a per diem amount of $2.24 from January 2, 2024

Robert A Bradley and Stefane

B Bradley

1303 Chestnut Street Murray, KY 42071

E 202/48

$6,703.35 with a per diem amount of $3.31 from January 2, 2024

Marion Canty and Remelda Canty 26521 SW 124 Avenue Naranja, FL 33032

E 102/50

$4,601.12 with a per diem amount of $2.27 from January 2, 2024

Richard Chosid and Cherie Chosid 3110 NE 48th Street

Lighthouse Point, FL 33064

A 102/01

$2,219.69 with a per diem amount of $1.10 from January 2, 2024 A 102/02

$2,219.69 with a per diem amount of $1.10 from January 2, 2024

Cure My Mommy’s Breast Cancer

C/O Ellen Schreiber

9 Endo Blvd, # FL 1 Garden City, NY 11530-6748

D 102/36

$3,571.14 with a per diem amount of $1.77 from January 2, 2024

Edward Daniel and Mary Daniel

P.O. Box 351853 Miami, FL 33135

E 102/36

$4,580.62 with a per diem amount of $2.24 from January 2, 2024

Brandon M Duhon

P.O. Box 608 Lake Charles, LA 70602

$2,219.69 with a per diem amount of $1.10 from January 2, 2024

Jennifer Edwards f/k/a

Jennifer Leanna and DZachary

Edwards 2688 Whispering Drive Largo, FL 33771

E 202/39

$6,702.41 with a per diem amount of $3.31 from January 2, 2024

B 202/47

$6,702.41 with a per diem amount of $3.31 from January 2, 2024

Maria George 3215 N 65th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85033-5216

D 102/50

$3,585.74 with a per diem amount of $1.77 from January 2, 2024

Lowell Higgins and Janine Sanders-Higgins 64 Kilworth PK Drive

RR #5 Komoka, ON N0L 1R0

Canada

A 102/47

$6,705.00 with a per diem amount of $2.24 from January 2, 2024

Dewane L Hose

Greystone House Lockton, N Yorkshire YO187QB

United Kingdom

D 102/42

$3,585.74 with a per diem amount of $1.77 from January 2, 2024

Charles Khoury 7343 Brisbane Hills Street

Las Vegas, NV 89166

B 102/46

$7,22.00 with a per diem amount of $3.57 from January 2, 2024

B 102/47

$7,225.00 with a per diem amount of $3.57 from January 2, 2024

Gehard Jacob, Anneliese Bentjerodt & Arquiyecto

Eusebio

Celi 5150 Comuna Vitacura

Santiago, Chile

C 201/44

$3,585.74 with a per diem amount of $1.77 from January 2, 2024

Moses Madison and Makeka

Montgomery P.O. Box 277812 Miramar, FL 33027

A 202/47

$7,351.73 with a per diem amount of $3.632.24 from January 2, 2024

Moses Madison and Dorothy A Madison 995 Bear Lake Drive Rockledge, FL 32955

D 101/36

$4,590.87 with a per diem amount of $2.27 from January 2, 2024

E 101/47

$4,590.87 with a per diem amount of $2.27 from January 2, 2024

Mary E McHenry, Michael B McHenry & Tina M McHenry 46 Hodgson Avenue Pittsburg, PA 15205

A 102/40

$4,601.12 with a per diem amount of $2.27 from January 2, 2024

A102/41

$4,601.12 with a per diem amount of $2.27 from January 2, 2024

George H Pirpiris and Marina Pirpiris 710 E Seminary Towson, MD 21286-1439

C 202/49

$6,544.40 with a per diem amount of $3.23 from January 2, 2024

C 202/50

$6,544.40 with a per diem amount of $3.23 from January 2, 2024

Lee M Purcifull

18406 Turning Point Drive

Lutz, FL 33549

A 202/36

$6,675.25 with a per diem amount of $3.30 from January

2, 2024

Shaki Rehman

11711 SW 130 Avenue

Miami, FL 33186

B 201/42

New York, NY 10021

E 101/48

$5,497.15 with a per diem amount of $2.76 from January 2, 2024 E 102/48

$5,497.15 with a per diem amount of $2.76 from January 2, 2024

Vincent T Salvato and Angela Salvato 4700 Casswell Drive New Port Richey, FL 34652 A101/43

$3,585.74 with a per diem amount of $1.77 from January 2, 2024

Frank Schultz, Trustee of the Frank Schultz Living Trust Agreement Dated March 24, 2000 1751 Beach Road, Apt 202 Englewood, FL 34223

D 202/49

$3,585.74 with a per diem amount of $1.77 from January 2, 2024

Frank Stewart and Jeanne C Stewart 3101 82nd Way North St Petersburg, FL 33710 B 202/40

$7,698.79 with a per diem amount of $3.80 from January 2, 2024

Chelsa Aran Taggart 1841 E 9th Street, Apt 2 Duluth, MN 55812

D 102/21

$5,619.22 with a per diem amount of $2.77 from January 2, 2024

Penny Weiss and Lynne Arnault 105 Kensington Road Syracuse, NY 13210 E 202/41

$5,597.15 with a per diem amount of $2.76 from January 2, 2024

Susan Geary Williams 235 S Lake Avenue Lake Butler, FL 32054 E 101/41

$5,597.15 with a per diem amount of $2.76 from January 2, 2024

Henry Zima, Halina Zima & Joanna D Ricci 2388 Carlanne Place Mississauga, ON L5E 2M2 Canada B 101/46

$3,585.74 with a per diem amount of $2.24 from January 2, 2024 B 101/47

$3,585.74 with a per diem amount of $2.24 from January 2, 2024

The assessment lien created by the Claim of Lien was properly created and authorized pursuant to the timeshare instrument and applicable law, and the amounts secured by said lien are as set above.

You may cure the default at any time prior to the public auction by paying the amount due, as set forth in this notice, to the undersigned Trustee at the address set forth below. THIS NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION/SALE is dated this 4th day of AUGUST, 2024. THOMAS L AVRUTIS __________________/ THOMAS L. AVRUTIS, AS TRUSTEE FOR MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB II ASSOCIATION, INC 201 Fletcher Avenue, 2nd Floor Sarasota, FL 34237

Telephone (941) 955-7300

Facsimile (941) 953-7625

Email: john@timesharenjf.com

Publish: August 29 & September 5, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

Parties in Possession #1, if living, and all Unknown Parties claiming by, through, under and against the above named Defendant(s) who are not known to be dead or alive, whether said Unknown Parties may claim an interest as Spouse, Heirs, Devisees, Grantees, or Other Claimants; Unknown Parties in Possession #2, if living, and all Unknown Parties claiming by, through, under and against the above named Defendant(s) who are not known to be dead or alive, whether said Unknown Parties may claim an interest as Spouse, Heirs, Devisees, Grantees, or Other Claimants Defendants.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to order rescheduling foreclosure sale or Final Judgment, entered in Civil Case No. 22-CA000144-M of the Circuit Court of the 16th Judicial Circuit in and for Monroe County, Florida, wherein Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Plaintiff and Cynthia L. Andrews a/k/a Cynthia Andrews are defendant(s), I, Clerk of Court, Kevin Madok, CPA, will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash AT THE MONROE COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 500 WHITEHEAD STREET, KEY WEST, FL 33040, AT 11:00 A.M. on September 24, 2024, the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment, to-wit: LOT 13, BLOCK 23, CRAINS SUBDIVISION OF GRASSY KEY, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, RECORDED IN NAT BOOK 1, PAGE 51, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA. ANY PERSON CLAIMING AN INTEREST IN THE SURPLUS FROM THE SALE, IF ANY, OTHER THAN THE PROPERTY OWNER AS OF THE DATE OF THE LIS PENDENS MUST FILE A CLAIM NO LATER THAN THE DATE THAT THE CLERK REPORTS THE FUNDS AS UNCLAIMED.

Florida Rules of Judicial Administration Rule 2.540

Notices to Persons With Disabilities

If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact Cheryl Alfonso, ADA Coordinator, Court Operations Manager, 502 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, 305-295-3652 at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.

Street, Key West, FL 33040, 305-295-3652O'mwen 7 jou avan ke ou gen pou-ou parèt nan tribunal, ou imediatman ke ou resevwa avis sa-a ou si lè ke ou gen pou-ou alé nan tribunal-la mwens ke 7 jou; Si ou pa ka tandé ou palé byen, rélé 711.

Kevin Madok,CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT Monroe County, Florida Shonta McLeod DEPUTY CLERK OF COURT Publish: August 22 & 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of CS Pressure Clean & Seal located at 161 Plantation Shores Drive, Tavernier, FL 33070 intends to register the said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, FL, USA. BY: Cameron Sabin August 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

MEETING NOTICE

2, 2023

Jerald Torano

AMENDED NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION/SALE FOR

E 201/40

$2,219.69 with a per diem amount of $1.10 from January 2, 2024 E 201/41

$6,701.46 with a per diem amount of $3.31 from January

2, 2024

Jane Rosenthal 444 E 75th Street, Apt #3-B

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL ACTION Case # 22-CA-000144-M Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Plaintiff, vs. Cynthia L. Andrews a/k/a Cynthia Andrews; Kenneth Andrews; Sharon Lee Havens a/k/a Sharon Havens; City of Marathon, Florida; United States of America; Unknown

SPANISH: Si usted es una persona discapacitada que necesita alguna adaptación para poder participar de este procedimiento o evento; usted tiene derecho, sin costo alguno a que se le provea cierta ayuda. Favor de comunicarse con Cheryl Alfonso, Coordinadora de A.D.A Court Operations Manager, 502 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, 305-295-3652 por lo menos 7 días antes de que tenga que comparecer en corte o inmediatamente después de haber recibido ésta notificación si es que falta menos de 7 días para su comparecencia. Si tiene una discapacidad auditiva ó de habla, llame al 711.

KREYOL: Si ou se yon moun ki kokobé ki bezwen asistans ou aparêy pou ou ka patisipé nan  prosedu sa-a, ou gen dwa san ou pa bezwen péyé anyen pou ou jwen on seri de èd.  Tanpri kontakté Cheryl Alfonso, Co-ordinator ADA, Court Operations Manager, 502 Whitehead

Monroe County Land Authority Notice is hereby given that the Governing Board of the Monroe County Land Authority will hold virtual/ hybrid public hearings on the adoption of a budget for fiscal year 2025. The hearings will be held using Communications Media Technology (CMT) in the form of a Zoom Webinar platform on September 4, 2024 at 5:05 PM and on September 11, 2024 at 5:05 PM. Members of the public may participate in the September 4 hearing online by typing https://mcbocc. zoom.us/j/89204098700; or via telephone by dialing 1-646-518-9805  and entering Webinar ID 892 0409 8700; or in person at the Harvey Government Center located at 1200 Truman Avenue, Key West, FL and the September 11 hearing by typing https://mcbocc. zoom.us/j/89204098700; or via telephone by dialing 1-646-518-9805 and entering Webinar ID 892 0409 8700; or in person at the Nelson Government Center located at 102050 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL. The meeting agenda, the proposed budget, and additional details about accessing the hearings are available at www.monroecounty-fl.gov. For additional information or to submit written or other physical evidence for consideration at the meeting, contact John Beyers via phone at (305) 295-5180; via email at beyers-john@monroecountyfl.gov; or via mail to Monroe County Land Authority, 1200 Truman Avenue, Suite 207, Key West, FL 33040. ADA ASSISTANCE If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in these proceedings, please contact the County Administrator's Office, by phoning (305) 292-4441, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., no later than five (5) calendar days prior to the scheduled meeting; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call "711". August 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

Trucks.

or Not.-

AUTOS FOR SALE

2005 Chevy Truck for sale in Marathon.

$500.00 Call Nicole 305-433-0515 SOLD IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK!

Place your AUTO FOR SALE ad here.

$25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305743-0844

BOATS FOR SALE

Key Largo 21' Deep V Center Console w/trailer. New 150hp motor & electronics. Ready to sh. REDUCED PRICE $25,000 cash. Located in Marathon. 201-696-8906

14' Aluminum boat, 9.9 Mercury Outboard, Elec. start, Trolling motor in bow, NEW gas tank, battery, GPS, Depth Finder & trailer tires. Located in Marathon. $3500 305-395-1015

FREE!! - 2 PONTOON BOATS 24' AND 18' Located in Marathon. Call 305-610-8002

Place your BOAT FOR SALE ad here.

$25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305743-0844

BOAT SLIP FOR RENT

Dock Space available in Marathon. Up to 32' Electric & water available. 305-619-5282

Place your BOAT SLIP FOR RENT ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844

BOAT / TRAILER STORAGE

Gated storage & parking available in Marathon for boats, trailers & RV's - across from boat ramp - MM 54. $8-$10/ foot. 305-610-8002

Place your STORAGE ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.

CAMPING/RV SITE

Camping site/RV site at marina available in Marathon. Monthly/ Daily rates. Free use of dingy & shing on dock. No Pets. 305-610-8002

Place your CAMPING SITE FOR RENT ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305743-0844

COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR RENT

Professional business o ces for rent in beautiful building in Islamorada. U.S. 1 frontage and signage for your business. Call 305-780-7265 or email srussolaw@outlook.com for details.

Commercial o ce/ medical/retail space for rent/lease available in Marathon. High highway visibility, 21003500 sq. ft. Call for more information 305-4813198 or email drice519@ aol.com

Place your COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR RENT ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305743-0844 today!

EMPLOYMENT

SERVERS WANTED: Apply in person between 5 pm & 7 pm every night at Plaza Grill Steak & Seafood, 5101 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

The S.S. Wreck and Galley Grill mile marker 59 is looking for Line Cooks, full or part time. Self-motivated, quick learner, and team player. Salary commensurate with experience and includes 401k match up

to 6%. Please call Nicole at 305-433-0515.

Hiring: Lead Gutter Installer - EXPERIENCE REQUIRED – valid Driver’s License - must be comfortable with heights - located in Tavernier. To apply, please call or text Jay 305-587-1581.

Marathon Yacht Club is hiring part-time servers and bartenders. Private club, friendly atmosphere, guaranteed gratuities. Flexible lunch/dinner shifts available Tuesday – Sunday. Must provide photo ID, social security card or passport, and checking account. Call 305-743-6739 to schedule an interview or email o ce@ marathonyachtclub. com.

Serve/Bartend on the ocean! The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a customer service-oriented Server/ Bartender. Serve on pool deck, beach and/ or bar lounge. Open year round, 9:30am7pm daily. Full time/ Part time. Small friendly sta . Above average hourly wage plus tips. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-2193359 and ask for Dave. The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: Med Tech PT/Nights, Housing Choice Voucher Asst., Housing Manager-Middle Keys, Maintenance Mechanic (Maintenance Worker, and HVAC Maintenance Mechanic $64.480-$72,800/ yr. plus bene ts. To apply, please contact Human Resources at: martinezm@kwha.org or 305-296-5621. Applications are available at the

Administrative O ce located at 1400 Kennedy Dr., Key West, FL 33040 or online at www. kwha.org - EOE & Drug Free Work Place. This opportunity is covered under Section 3 of the HUD Act of 1968.

Place your

EMPLOYMENT ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844

HOBBIES/COLLECT.

PRIVATE

COLLECTOR

WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 305-743-4578

HOUSING FOR RENT

ANNUAL RENTALKey Largo - 2BR/2BA Spacious Doublewide, 1400 sq ft modular on canal w/40’ dock, direct ocean access. Very nice community. $3,500/ month 786-258-3127

Downstairs apartment of a duplex to rent to 1 person (no pets). Large living room/bedroom and separate kitchen. Large screened porch with its own washer/ dryer and driveway. Utilities include wi / tv. 150 ft to the ocean. $1850/month. F/L/S 305-853-3779

ISLAMORADA: Very

Large 2 BR apt. for rent. Furnished or unfurnished. Utilities & cable included. $2,200/ month. First/Security. Available Sept. 1st. Yearly lease. 305-5222702 Leave message.

Studio Rental Unit in four-plex available for long-term rent in Marathon. Fully furnished. $2,200/ month all in. Call Nicole 305-433-0515

2BR/2BA Single Family Waterfront Home for rent in Marathon. Fully furnished. 70' dock. $4,500/month includes all utilities, internet & TV. Available for 3 months - Jan, Feb & March. 727278-1105

Marathon: Waterfront 2/1.5 duplex, monthly, furnished, near hospital. 40' of canal, pool, hot tub, pet friendly. Elec. & water paid. $4,950/mo. F/L/D Call or text James 409-370-0025.

Conch HouseStudio for rent in duplex in Marathon. $960/ month + utilities. Newly furnished. Dockage available. No Pets. 305610-8002

Large One Bedroom Suite, Conch House, carpet, tile, appliances, available for rent in Marathon. $2,000/ month furnished, $1,600/month unfurnished,. All utilities included. F/L/S Section 8 accepted. Dockage available. No Pets. 305610-8002

Place your HOUSING FOR RENT ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305743-0844

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE

Heavy duty, hard wood Futon Bed for sale in Marathon. Excellent condition. Couch turns into double bed. $250.00 305-849-0975

Place your Miscellaneous For Sale ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.

ROOMMATE WANTED

Stock Island -

Seeking non-smoking professional female/no pets. Fully furnished, W/D + TV. Very nice quiet safe place. Gated.

$1250/month. First/ Last Call 305-797-5600 ROOMMATE FOUND IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK!

Place your ROOMMATE WANTED ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305743-0844

2010 27' Wildcat RV FOR SALE. 5th wheel, 1 slide-out. Located in Key West. $9,000 618-559-9143 SOLD IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!

Place your RV FOR SALE ad here. $25.00/ week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844

RV SITE/CAMPING

RV site / Camping available at marina in Marathon. Monthly/ Daily rates. Free use of dingy & shing on dock. No Pets. 305-610-8002

Place your RV SITE FOR RENT ad here. $25.00/ week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844

STORAGE AVAILABLE

Gated storage & parking available in Marathon for boats, trailers & RV's - across from boat ramp - MM 54. $8-$10/foot. 305610-8002

Place your STORAGE ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.

VACATION RENTAL

Key West House For Rent - 28 day minimum. Recently renovated. 2 Units: 3BR/3BA or 2BR/2.5BA. 1 block to Schooner Wharf @ Historic Seaport. Starting $214/night. Sweet CarolineSeaport.com

SARA’S ESTATE SALE:

Part 2 of a massive Middle Keys sale!! Friday, Aug 30 and Saturday, Aug 31, 9a to 1p both days, 43 Kyle Way South, Knights Key near Seven Mile Bridge. Worldwide traveler collected all over the globe: *Jewelry, precious & semiprecious. *Antique venetian etched mirror, Chinese “money” keys, & fossils. *Bustamante paper Mache birds & armadillo, carved turquoise bear, tin turtle, etc. *Auction worthy items: Steuben & Loetz glass, art by top Native American artists Beatien Yazz, Virginia Stroud, Harrison Begay; plus Cincinnati artist Robert Fabe & authentic Disney animation cels. *Huge assortment of men’s clothing and shoes, many NWT. *Sought after lamps & chandeliers: Murano, Moorcraft, Rookwood, Fenton. *Fine china, vintage and modern tableware. *All size rugs & tall vintage lacquer & precious stone inlay oriental screen. *3 bedroom sets, electronics and lots more J Follow the signs and please park with consideration.

Place your YARD SALE ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.

for up to ve lines of copy. Call 305-7430844 today to place your classi ed ad.

Please send email for request for proposal outline to rod@schoonerappledore.com

Assisting our clients with dental, medical and transportation appts. Act as liaison between clients, families and support staff. Requires some on-call responsibility. Min. requirement Florida certification as a Certified Nursing Assistant. * *ALSO REQUIRED FOR ALL POSITIONS: Fluent in English language, speaking and writing, proficiency is a must. Level 2 background screening and valid Florida driver’s

IS HIRING

IN THE UPPER KEYS

Send resume to admin@cbtconstruction.com Or call 305-852-3002

MARINA CASHIERS

NOW HIRING IN ISLAMORADA

Must have customer service experience working in a retail environment and using a point of sale system. Additional duties include restocking, completing purchase orders, daily ordering of basic items in the store, and maintaining a clean appearance in the store. This is an hourly position and compensation is based on experience. Work hours are flexible and we try to maintain a set weekly schedule.

DOCKHANDS

Duties include customer service, helping customers with bait and ice and helping cashiers with restocking. Morning & a ernoon hours available.

Please respond by email (Ma at islamarinama @gmail.com) with any relevant previous experience and at least two references.

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER IS HIRING

Staff Photographer (Full-Time, Part-Time, Seasonal)

Join our Visual Communications Department if you enjoy working outdoors around the water, interacting with people, and watching dolphins at play. Photograph program participants to provide lasting memories of their experiences. Some of the responsibilites include: taking candid digital still photos of guests & dolphins during public programs, all phases of video recording & editing, types of projects include promotional, educational, documentary, narrative, & visual music montages. Benefits include medical insurance, 401(k), vacation & paid holidays. Job description available at www.dolphins.org. Email resume and DRC

TREASURE HARBOR MARINA

IN ISLAMORADA IS LOOKING FOR

• Dock Master/General Manager

• Front Desk

• Housekeepers

• Maintenance

• Mechanic

Apply in person at: Treasure Harbor Marina

200 Treasure Harbor Dr., Islamorada

Email: info@keysboatrental.com

Call for more information: 305-664-9943

DUI EVALUATOR/ INSTRUCTOR

The Advocate DUI Program is hiring for part time positions. DUI instructors and evaluators - 2 days a week, Bachelors or Masters degree in substance abuse eld required. Bilingual preferred, not required. Of ce located in Marathon. Contact Marcia at 305-704-0117.

ELECTRICIANS AND HELPERS NEEDED Experience is required. Must have a valid driver’s license. We offer 401K, medical insurance, paid holidays and paid vacation. Positions available in Key West and Marathon. 305-292-3369

JOIN A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE NONPROFIT HELPING PEOPLE COPE AND CHANGE FOR 52 YEARS!

We provide Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Programs to the Florida Keys community while valuing and rewarding our employees.

KEY LARGO

Case Manager (PT)

KEY WEST

Peer Support Specialist

Case Manager (Adult, Child)

Substance Abuse Counselor Prevention Specialist (HIV, Child)

MARATHON

Care Coordinator (PT)

Driver – PT (CDL not required)

Behavioral Health Therapist (Child) RNs/LPNs – 3 shifts (PT/Per Diem)

Peer Support Specialist/BHT

*Behavioral Health Technicians – 3 shifts (FT/PT)

*No experience required for this position. Will train. A caring heart & helpful hands necessary.

Background and drug screen req. EEOC/DFWP COMPETITIVE PAY! EXCEPTIONAL BENEFITS!!!

Apply at guidancecarecenter.org

Search Employment/Portal/Location/zip

MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE

We are now hiring for the following positions:

CDL Drivers

Applicants must apply in person to be considered.

4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

OPENINGS AVAILABLE

PHYSICIAN PRACTICE

OPENINGS

- Medical Assistant, General Surgery, Tavernier, $3k Bonus

- Patient Access Associate, Tavernier

- Physician Assistant, Ortho, Tavernier

- Nurse Practitioner Physician Assistant, Upper Keys Cardiology, $5k Bonus

- Nurse Practitioner Physician Assistant, Primary Care Marathon, $5k Bonus

- Medical Assistant, Concierge Key West, $5k Bonus

- Physician Practice Registered Nurse, Concierge Key West, $15k Bonus

TAVERNIER MARINERS

HOSPITAL

- Cook, $5k Bonus

- Director Nursing Services, ICU

- Exercise Physiologist

- Group Exercise Instructor

- Lead First Cook, $5k Bonus

- Multi-Modality Imag Tech, $20k Bonus

- Nuclear Medicine Tech

- Radiology Technologist, $15k Bonus

- Registered Nurse, Multispecialty Acute Care Center, $25k Bonus

- Registered Nurse, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, $15k Bonus

MARATHON FISHERMEN’S

COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

- ED Team Coordinator, Emergency Department

- Experience Advisor, Patient Experience

- First Cook, $5k Bonus

- Lead Medical Technologist, $15k Bonus

- Lead Phlebotomist

- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, $20k Bonus

- Medical Technologist, $15k Bonus

- Radiology Technologist, $15k Bonus

- Registered Nurse, Emergency, $25k Bonus

- Registered Nurse, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, $15k Bonus

- Registered Respiratory Therapist, $15k Bonus

- Security Of cer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

*Sign-on bonuses are available only for select full-time positions based on candidate experience. APPLY AND LEARN MORE careers.baptisthealth.net or call 786-243-8507

THEME: FOOTBALL

ACROSS

1. Command to Fido

6. Sheep not yet sheared

9. Cap and gown accessory

13. Blood line

14. Ancient Chinese dynasty

15. Ringworm

16. Driver’s license notation 17. Not outs

18. Like Cheerios

19. *Piece of football equipment required since 1943

21. *Peyton or Eli 23. Napkin spot

24. Eminem’s 2002 hit “____ Yourself”

25. Embargo

28. Feed storage cylinder

30. Like house from a kit

35. Greek god of love

37. Smokes

39. *Super Bowl I M.V.P. Bart ____

40. Taj Mahal locale

41. *Career rushing yards record holder

43. Equals s squared

44. Regretting

46. *Highest college football level: ____ Division I

47. Extend credit

48. *Seventeen games in NFL

50. Somewhat (2 words)

52. “Whatever Will Be, Will Be” singer

53. Mare’s baby

55. Not a friend

57. *55 of them

61. *Home of the NFL Hall of Fame

64. Hole-borer

65. For every

67. Color red on coat of arms

69. Birds of ill omen

70. Outrage

71. ____ ____ shopping cart

72. Party barrels

73. Sound from one of #69

Across

74. Homes for #69 Across

DOWN

1. Down in the dumps

2. Cry of contempt

3. Marine eagle

4. Wake Island, e.g.

5. Kizmet, pl. 6. Foolish one

7. Even, poetic

8. Useful contraption

9. Lamborghini model

10. Unfavorable prefix

11. “As ____ on TV”

12. Suspend

15. Astrigents

20. “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” e.g.

22. Venomous Egyptian snake

24. Deducible

25. *One of 2 NFL founding teams still in league

26. Lock horns

27. Waterwheel

29. Outline

31. Et alii, abbr.

32. Got along

33. *Like indoor eight-men football

34. *Career NFL passing yards record holder

36. Without

38. Wild guess

42. Israelian port

45. Errand-runners

49. Neither’s partner

51. Nuku’alofa language

54. Meat jelly dish

56. Musician’s exercise

57. “*Go ____ Go!”

58. Fishing decoy

59. Awestruck

60. Archery wood

61. “Ship, Captain, ____”

62. Cutlass or Delta 88, for short 63. Remaining after deductions 66. ____ of Good Feelings 68. Lusitania’s last call